Tony Robbins made good on his offer. Paul enrolled in the top rated Management Consultant program in the country. And Mr Robbins paid for the education. But he was floored when Mr Robbins offered to pay for Linda's education also. So Paul and Linda got to spend their first year of college in the same town, which was beneficial for the both of them. They had never been away from their families before, and being able to spend time with each other as they embarked on this new journey gave them a measure of comfort that they wouldn't have been able to rely on otherwise.

As the only Beta in an Alpha program, Paul was by far the best student, and the one with the greatest potential. His quiet self-confidence, as well as his ability to handle any situation with his much larger classmates without any fear or intimidation, marked him as the one student that his teachers would recommend, with the highest regards, for any employer looking for the best and brightest.

Linda had decided to major in Third grade education. Her height of 8’ would be the perfect bridge for students who wouldn't be quite as tall as her at that stage of their growth, and would allow her to guide them on their journey more effectively. But it was a struggle for her at first. Despite Paul being close, she suffered terribly from homesickness. She missed her parents, and  she missed her friends, and thought about dropping out, until Paul talked to her one night. All he kept telling her was that she had more inner strength than she realized. She was beautiful, kind, caring, and truly wanted to help people. She just needed to stop doubting herself. And when he was done talking, he surprised her. There was a knock on her dorm door. Paul suggested that she answer, and gave her a wink. A puzzled Linda opened the door, and not only was there a gentleman with a dozen roses for her, but there was a delivery driver bringing dinner for the both of them. 

Linda was shocked. Paul had gone through all that trouble to make sure that she knew how much he loved her, and how much he believed in her. She started crying and hugged him tightly, making it difficult for him to breathe at first. But he never complained. He truly loved her, and he just wanted to reinforce something that he had always told her. Whenever she felt down, or suffered from self-doubt, he would always be there for her. 

Eventually Linda settled down and became more comfortable with her surroundings. She was extremely bright, and once she learned to relax, school became easier. And it was all because of one person.

Linda considered herself to be so fortunate to have Paul. She shared a room with an Alpha girl, Missy, who couldn't believe that Linda would be seeing a Beta. She had that Alpha air of superiority about her. Then she met Paul. She at first tried the usual intimidation tactic. That didn't work. Then she tried the condescending attitude tactic. That too didn't work. And before she could think of doing anything else, Paul started cracking jokes, which caused Missy to become speechless. She couldn't understand why the little Beta wasn't afraid of, or intimidated, by her size. But she found that he had a confidence about him that most Alpha males didn't have. And slowly, but surely, she was won over by his personality. So he was welcomed in the dorm room any time, except when Missy wanted to “relax” with a date. Then Linda and Paul made other arrangements.

Paul and Linda also made an effort to keep in touch with John, Mindy, Todd, Betty, George, and Alice. The summer after graduation had become a memorable time. They hung out every weekend, got to know their families, and truly developed a closeness. And they each had different interests. John entered the quickly growing field of computer programming, paid for by some unknown company based in Washington state. Mindy, like Linda, went to college to become a preschool teacher. Todd entered a trade school to become an electrician. Betty was studying fashion design, George was preparing to take over his father's construction business, and Alice was in college, majoring in Business Administration. If George was going to run a successful business, she thought that he would need all the help he could get, and this would help her maintain the finances of his computer. Everyone had their goals, and everyone had the support group to offer advice and help when needed.

The Thanksgiving holiday was quickly approaching. Unknown to Linda, Paul had gone into town one afternoon. He got back to the school with three bags filled with food. He was going to surprise her the night before school closed for the break. Linda's dad was coming early the next morning to take them back home.

Paul and Linda enjoyed the quiet meal. It gave them a chance to talk about how the school year was progressing, and how they were excited to be able to see their friends and family again. Paul had visited Jill at least once a week before he left for college. She had made tremendous progress, and was back at home. Her mom homeschooled her, and although she was getting better at controlling her emotions, the Robbins still were present at all of his visits. And once Paul got to college, he made sure that he wrote Jill a letter every week, just to make sure that she was doing well. Both Paul and Linda enjoyed being away at college, but they also missed their homes, and their parents.

Victor Mills arrived at 10am, and after receiving a big hug from his daughter, shook Paul’s hand, and the three of them got in and drove off. Victor was pleasantly surprised by the fact that Linda looked happy. He had been sure that she would have left school just after arriving because of homesickness, but he was proud that she stayed. She was growing up.

The hour it took to get back to Rockway went quickly, due to Linda and Paul talking like they hadn't seen each other in years. Her father just laughed to himself. They had been together since the first day of their sophomore year of highschool, yet they always found things to talk about.

Victor offered to drop Paul off first, but he asked her father if they could go to her house instead. Victor was a little surprised, but it wouldn't be any trouble to drop Paul off later. Once the vehicle stopped, Linda ran out and into the house to hug her mother. 

But Paul and Victor remained in the vehicle for a few minutes before exiting. Once in the house, Linda's mom, Stephanie, gave Paul a hug. 

After a couple of minutes, Paul and Linda went into her room. It was 5 minutes later that Victor and Stephanie heard their daughter scream. Stephanie started to get up to see what was wrong, but was stopped by her husband, who had a smile on his face. She asked why he was smiling, but he just kissed her hand and held it tightly.

When the door closed to Linda's room, she plopped down on her bed and laid back. She reached her hand out for Paul to take, but he didn't move. She sat back up and asked him what was wrong. He just looked at her with a twinkle in his eyes, and produced a box in his hand. Linda wasn't sure what he was up to, until she saw him get on his knee and open the box, revealing a beautiful diamond ring. And asked her to marry him?

Linda screamed in excitement. Paul had just proposed to her. It was the moment that she waited for more than any other, and it just happened. She cried, and said yes! She pulled him on top of her lap and gave him the most passionate kiss she could muster. He returned the passion with his own. After what seemed like an eternity, the embrace ended, and Paul put the ring on her finger. It fit perfectly. Linda didn't know how he knew her exact ring size, but there it was on her finger. She didn't know that Paul had asked Missy to get one of Linda's rings that she didn't wear often, and used that to size the engagement ring. And unknown to Linda, Paul was a paid tutor, helping fellow students when he could. So the money he made from that paid for the ring.

Linda and Paul emerged from her room. Stephanie could see that Linda had been crying, and was about to yell at Paul when Linda showed her mom the ring on her finger, which caused her to scream in excitement, just like her daughter had done earlier. Tears and hugs flowed, and after some time, Paul asked Victor if could use the phone. Paul called his parents and asked them to pick him up at Linda's house, and said that he needed both there.

5 minutes later, there was a knock on the door. Greg and Debbie Barton entered the house after Victor opened the door. They saw nothing but happiness on the faces of the four people in front of them. They didn't know what was going on, until Paul explained that he had asked Linda to marry him, and she accepted.

This caused even more rounds of hugs and congratulations. The four parents always knew that their children would be together, and now the first part had occurred, the engagement. Victor had a bottle of wine on hand, and poured glasses for everyone, including Paul and Linda. It was a time for celebration.

The day after Thanksgiving was a busy one for Paul. He was up very early to get a start on Christmas shopping. He had never experienced the madhouse known as Black Friday before, and after he spent a good 10 hours buying gifts, he had no desire to experience it again. But he had got gifts for everyone on his list. He and Linda were heading back to school on Sunday, so the shopping had to be done then.

He couldn't wait to give Linda her gift, because he was 100% sure that she would love it. But after a quick trip home for some food, he drove out to the Robbins house, to see Jill. Knocking on the door, Elizabeth Robbins answered, and gave him a warm smile as she let him in. He handed her an extremely large package, and asked that she give it to Jill on Christmas day. Mrs Robbins had always thought that Paul was a sweet boy. Even after all the trouble her daughter had caused him, he still cared enough to give her a present every Christmas. And the fact that he wrote Jill a letter every week just made him a special friend to her daughter.

He went into the living room while Mrs Robbins let Jill know that he was there to see her. Paul wanted to sit down, but the furniture was too tall for him to climb on, so he just paced back and forth, until he heard the heavy footsteps approaching. And then Jill and her mom entered the room.

Paul was sure that Jill looked the happiest that he had ever seen. She went over to him and gave him a gentle hug, and they said hello to each other. Mrs Robbins asked him if he wanted to sit on the chair, and with no other available options, Paul said yes. So she gently lifted him up on top of the seat cushion, and she and her daughter sat on the sofa. 

Paul remarked to Jill that she looked really great, and that she seemed happy. Jill smiled and said she was, that a new boy moved in next door only last week, and that they were hanging around with each other, and that she was starting to like him, and he liked her. 

Paul smiled and said that he was very happy for her, and that he hoped that he was the boy for her, that she deserved to be happy, that she had a lot going for her. Jill blushed a little, and said thank you. Paul asked what his name was, and she told him it was Pete. Again, Paul told her that he was very happy for her.

After spending about an hour with Jill, he said goodbye to both her and her mom, and drove to Linda's. He was feeling really tired, having been up since 2am. But no matter how tired he might have been, the thought of Linda kept him focused. He couldn't wait to see her. And about 15 minutes after leaving the Robbins’ house, he arrived at the Mills’. 

Knocking on the door, Linda opened it within seconds of his last knock. She could see how tired he looked, and offered to make him a cup of coffee, which he gratefully accepted. He said hi to her parents, and took the cup of coffee and followed Linda into her room. The coffee had no effect, and within minutes after finishing, had passed out from exhaustion. Linda smiled at him sleeping on the big chair in her room, and picked him up and placed him on her bed, and covered him over. She went back out to the living room and sat with her parents, who were curious about Paul's absence. Linda explained that he fell asleep, and she didn't want to disturb him.

With the ring on her finger, it made Linda feel like a million dollars. It was beautiful. She never knew about Paul's tutoring job, and didn't know how he could afford such an object. But once he explained what he did in his free time, she felt better. The last thing she wanted him to do was go broke trying to buy things for her. 

A few hours later, while Linda was watching TV with her parents, Paul emerged from her bedroom, looking not quite awake, but apologizing to everyone for falling asleep on them. He didn't mean to be rude. Victor laughed, and asked him what time he got up that morning. Paul told him 2, and Victor said that it was understandable that he was exhausted. Paul instinctively got up on the sofa and sat next to Linda, trying to shake the sleepiness from his head. Linda put her arm around him, and pulled him closer to her. The warmth and curve of her body caused a tremendous sensation of joy to run through his body. He just put his head on her chest and started rubbing her arm. 

He and Linda were both lost in thoughts about each other, until Stephanie asked them what they wanted for dinner. Paul and Linda said that whatever she made was fine by them. Paul was more alert than he had been a short while before. Linda excused herself and went into the kitchen to 

help her mom cook dinner, leaving Paul and Victor alone in the living room.

Victor wanted to know if he could ask Paul a question. Paul told him that he could ask anything. Victor asked him how his visits with Jill were going. It was a subject that Paul never really discussed with anyone, except Linda. Even his parents didn't know the outcome of his visits. Paul gave a thoughtful look, and told him that he believed that she was getting to a point where she could handle being around Betas and Tweeners without issue, but stressed that he was not a doctor, and could make no diagnosis. It was just a feeling. 

Victor asked him what was his real reason for wanting to visit her? He told the young man in front of him that most normal people would avoid any contact with the one responsible for the type of injuries that he suffered. Paul told him that when he had found out what had happened to her when she was in first grade, he just overwhelmed with pity for her. He had listened to her parents describe a perfect little girl, happy and carefree, and for her classmates to do what they did, he just couldn't blame her for her actions. He understood why, and just wanted her to know that if he couldn't be there for her when she suffered, he would be there for her going forward. He couldn't explain why, he just needed to tell her.

Not wanting to push the issue further, he asked Paul if he wanted something to drink. Paul asked for a cup of coffee, and thanked him again for giving him the rides to and from college. Victor stood up, and patted him on the shoulder and told him he never had to thank him, he would gladly do it in a heartbeat.

Saturday came. Paul had invited everyone over to his backyard for a get together. After making sure that there was enough food and drinks for everyone, he showered and went to pick up Linda. His parents had surprised him that morning with a vehicle that could accommodate both him and Linda in the front seat. Paul was excited to drive it, and showed up at Linda's. He didn't tell her what his parents had done, so he surprised her when he asked her to close her eyes and take his hand. He led her to a spot, and she heard a car door open, and was surprised when looked and saw the vehicle. Paul told her about his parents’ gift, and said that the chariot awaited the queen. She bent down and picked him up and kissed him like she hadn't seen him in years. They were lost in their own world, until realized that John and Mindy were due to arrive in about 10 minutes. Once Linda put him down, he made sure that she was comfortable, and got into the driver's seat, noticing that Linda's seat was a good foot behind his. But at least he would be able to drive her around, and that was all he cared about.

Once he was back at his house, he saw John and Mindy park just as George and Alice pulled up, followed by Todd and Betty. Paul and Linda greeted everyone out front, and several made jokes about the new Barton Mobile that was parked in the driveway. Everyone looked happy. Todd and Betty. John and Mindy, and George and Alice. God, Paul thought, Alice was looking especially ravishing, with her strawberry blonde hair flowing in the sunlight. George, on the other hand, looked exhausted, like he had been staying up all night working out. And judging by how happy Alice looked, he correctly assumed that he had been up all night working out, just not with weights. He laughed at that thought. A big, strong Alpha male being worn out by a bigger, stronger Alpha female. He would have felt sorry for him, but he knew the feeling well. He looked over at Linda. 

But it was time for everyone to move to the backyard, where both Paul and Linda served the others. He told her that serving the guests was his responsibility, to which she replied that if he was going to be a great host, then she would be a great hostess alongside him. He appreciated her more than ever. Once everyone was seated, and had their drinks, Paul thanked everyone for coming. And Linda finally got to show off her ring. Alice was most impressed by the object on Linda's finger. She kept mentioning how beautiful it was, while she kept looking at George, as if to subtly tell him that she was waiting for hers. 

Mindy asked Linda if a date had been set, and both Paul and Linda said that once they graduated college, then the date would be picked. Todd really enjoyed his trade school, and was one of the better students in his class. John found developing code pretty neat. It was both very technical and very trial and error. But the promise of a lucrative career was too enticing to pass up. And he too wanted to buy a ring for Mindy, but he couldn't afford it. 

Goerge was learning the ins and outs of his father's business. There was a lot of hard work and decision making involved, but he was picking it up, and with Alice studying Business Administration, he would have someone he trusted to be by his side.

And it made Paul feel very fortunate. Life was good for the 18 year old male, and with his engagement to Linda, it would only get better. He looked forward to life in general, and life with Linda in particular. He felt like the luckiest guy in the world.

Paul was driving back to college with Linda. It had been a great trip home for the both of them, as Paul surprised her with the ring and subsequent proposal, which Linda accepted without hesitation or thought. He was her soul mate, and she was determined to be the best wife any guy could ever hope to marry.

As they were driving, Linda asked Paul if he thought about names for when they had children. Paul looked at her and replied that yes, he thought of names, Nathaniel and Superfly. Linda looked at Paul for a few seconds, then realized that he was joking, and she started to laugh. She asked him again, and he replied with different names, Sparkles and Chuckles. She laughed at first, then started to get a little annoyed, and told him that she really wanted his honest feelings. 

Paul said that if they had a girl, he could think of three names, Linda, Debbie, or Stephanie. She asked him about his reasoning, and he told her that the name Linda was obvious, as he gave her a wink. As for Debbie and Stephanie, well, their moms did a great job raising their children, and he felt that they should be honored for all of their sacrifice.

As for boy names, he said that he thought of two, Greg and Victor. Linda asked him why not the name Paul? And he told her that he considered each father to be a great man, and they should be honored. As for his name, he was nothing special, and if they had a son, he should have his own identity. Linda told him that he was special to her. And that was why she wanted to name their first son after his father. Paul appeared luke warm to he feeling on the matter, and she wanted to know if he had a problem with her wanting to name their son after him. Paul realized that it was a mistake to try and appear nonchalant on the matter, as it made Linda feel that he didn't respect her opinion.

Paul quickly apologized to Linda, and said that he just didn't feel that he was special enough for his son to have his first name. But he loved her, and he would support her wishes, no matter how he felt. Linda was still a little upset, but rubbed his arm as they neared the college parking lot. The five days they spent back home went by too fast. But finals began in two weeks, and they both had several papers due before then. Paul walked Linda to her dorm. She bent down and he stood on the very tops of his toes and they kissed for what seemed like an eternity. They said goodnight, and after Linda walked through the door, Paul turned and went to his room

He was roommates with a tweener named Brian, meaning that the Alpha sized room they were sharing was too big for the both of them. But they made due, and had a fridge and microwave delivered that they could both use. They slept on the floor of their respective rooms, while never bothering to use the drawers to keep their clothes in. The had a rubberized 5 ft step ladder installed in the shower, plus another one at the bathroom sink, and still another in the kitchen. 

Paul had gotten used to using stuff like that when he stayed at Linda's house. Brian was still struggling with the fact that even standing at over 8’, he was still too small to use the room without the ladders. But he never took any of his frustrations out on Paul. He found out one minute after meeting his roommate that he was the coolest guy in the world. A Beta totally at peace with his size in an Alpha world. And Brian appreciated that, because Paul's relaxed nature started rubbing off on him. And it made the large room more bearable.

Paul and Linda both thought that the papers they had to write for their respective classes were hard. But they were nothing compared to the finals they had to pass in order to advance to their next set of classes. In fact, both were sweating their grades. But their worries were for nothing. A’s in all classes, meaning both made the Dean's list. Relieved, Paul took Linda out for dinner before driving home. They found a quiet pizza parlor that had setups for Betas, Tweeners, and Alphas. And that made the meal more enjoyable, as it was easier for Paul to adapt to the size of tweener seats and tables, than it was for Linda to crouch down to eat, which was really uncomfortable for her.

Once the meal was finished, and Paul's vehicle packed with the essentials, he and Linda headed for home for a month. Christmas was in three days, and Paul couldn't wait to give Linda her gifts. And they would be able to see family and friends. Linda was happy, because one semester was finished. And for her, that meant that she was closer to the as yet unpicked wedding day. She looked over at Paul, except with her seat positioned the way it was, she saw mostly the back half of the right side of his head. So she just placed her left hand on the back of his neck and started running her long fingers through his hair. 

Without realizing it, she was getting him in the mood, which caused him to become distracted. She suddenly understood what was happening and pulled her hand away and apologized to Paul. He took a deep breath, shifted his position in the driver's seat several times, and told her that she hg and nothing to apologize for. Linda realized that she would have to be more careful the next time. But she was secretly happy that she could still make him feel like that. 

Paul pulled up at Linda's house, and while she opened the front door, he started carrying her stuff in. It was much heavier than his belongings, due to their increased size. But he never complained. Linda hugged her parents, and once everything was inside, Paul hugged his future in-laws, and gave Linda a good night kiss, then headed for his house. 

After saying hi to his parents, Paul lumbered into bed. Exams had started at 8 and lasted until 4. Then there was 30 minutes to gather the things he wanted to take home and get them packed in the vehicle, another 20 minutes for Linda's things, dinner, then the hour drive back home. Even at 18, it had been a long day and he was exhausted. 

Christmas dinner was going to be at Linda's, the way it was every year. Paul had discussed with his dad about the possibility of putting an extension on the house, something that could accommodate Linda's size, but money was always the issue. And whatever money was saved went towards the vehicle his parents bought for him. 

Paul woke up late. He looked at his clock. 12:30pm. He was surprised. He didn't realize that he was that tired. He stumbled out of bed, and after a quick trip to the bathroom, went out into the living room where his parents were sitting. Looking at their son, Greg said that there had been several calls for a Romeo from a Juliet. And he and Debbie laughed. Paul grabbed the phone, and as he was making himself a late breakfast, dialed Linda's number. The ringing ended just after the second one, and he instantly recognized the voice on the other end. Linda's voice was full of cheer, the opposite of Paul's. But he was happy to hear her voice. 

Paul and Linda hung up, and after eating breakfast, he finally noticed the beautiful job his parents had done decorating for Christmas. The tree, the garland following the molding. It was more than he ever remembered. He mentioned to his parents about the job they did, and they thanked him for the compliment. 

Paul showered, dressed, and headed for Linda's. 

He was feeling refreshed from his shower, and his thoughts of Linda caused a little stiffness down below. He just laughed. Even his member knew that it belonged to Linda. What could he do but accept that fate smiled on him more than it should have. But he wasn't complaining. 

He reached her house in no time, and after saying hello to her parents, escorted her to the vehicle, and drove into town. They had a couple of last minute gifts to get, and it allowed them to walk in fresh air. They held hands once they exited the vehicle, and never let go of one another, unless they had to pay for something. But it allowed them alone time, with no parents or roommates there to disturb them. 

Once the shopping was done, they ordered dinner from a burger shop, and took it to go. They would eat at Linda's. Once they were both in, Paul drove down the street. The light had turned green, and as he went to make a right, he quickly swerved to avoid getting hit by another vehicle just like the one he was driving, and narrowly avoided hitting a fire hydrant. He was up on the curb. He made sure that Linda was alright, then exited to check on the other driver.

What emerged was an irate Alpha teenage girl, yelling at the top of her lungs that she should have known a Beta was driving, and if he wasn't big enough to see over the steering wheel, he shouldn't be driving. Paul told her that he had the green light, and that she went through a red light, almost hitting him. The girl told him that he was wrong, that she had the green light. Paul corrected her once again, making her even more upset. She moved towards him, getting as close as she could, and asked him if he still wanted to tell her she was wrong. Paul never flinched, and told her that her tactic wouldn't work, and that she was still wrong. By then Linda had got out of the vehicle and told the girl that she was at fault. 

The girl looked at a visibly upset Linda, and started to move towards her, until Paul stepped in her way. She had raised her hand towards him, and finally realized that a police officer was there. Once she saw the officer, she complained that Paul ran the red light and almost hit her. The officer patiently listened to her rant, then sternly informed her that he was parked across the street and saw the whole thing. He told her that he saw that she was putting on makeup while driving, and that it was her that ran the red light. 

The girl grew quiet. The officer made sure that Paul’s license, registration, and insurance was up to date, handed everything back to him, then proceeded to write the young girl two tickets. One for distracted driving, the other for careless driving. And then the officer made sure there was no damage to Paul's vehicle, and that he and Linda were alright, and let them leave. He then had a talk with the girl, which didn't improve her mood.

As they were heading back to Linda's house, Paul sensed that she was still upset by the near accident. So he just casually asked in a loud voice if he would ever go more than a couple of months without an Alpha girl threatening to beat him up?

That made Linda laugh. His stupid little joke brightened her mood. And then she said that he shouldn't be worried about Alpha girls, if he knew what she meant, as she pretended to clear her throat. Linda made a joke! Paul couldn't believe it! She was the sweetest, kindest girl he knew, but in the 4 years that knew her, she never cracked a joke. Paul laughed out loud, then pretended to be frightened of the girl sitting next to him. It just started a bout of uncontrollable laughter for the two of them. 

Once Paul parked in the driveway, he just instantly hopped out of his seat and onto Linda's lap, and just started kissing her. It took her by surprise at first, but warmed to his actions quickly, eventually making him break their lip lock in order to catch his breath. He looked into her eyes, and told her the same thing that he had been telling her since sophomore year of highschool. He loved her with all his heart. She told him the same, then casually moved her fingers up his thigh, and felt something bulging in his pants. She feigned shock, saying how could he think of something like that when they weren't even married yet??! Paul pretended to be humbled by her words. Then they just started laughing again. 

Once they were inside Linda's house, she told her parents about the near accident, leaving nothing out. Victor looked at Paul, who nodded, confirming her story. Stephanie hugged the two of them, thanking God that they were unharmed. Victor again thanked Paul for trying to protect his daughter. Paul put his hand up, saying that this was the last time either he or Stephanie would say that to him. Victor understood what he was saying. And with that, Paul and Linda enjoyed their burgers and fries. Once dinner was done, he said goodbye to the Mills, and walked with Linda out to his vehicle, where he gave her a kiss, then headed home.

Christmas came. Paul and his family opened their gifts. Debbie and Greg got an all-expense paid weekend away at a mountain resort from their son. Greg and Debbie got Paul something that he never expected, a computer. It would help him as he got further along in his career. They hugged each other, then got dressed. They were due at Linda's that afternoon, so Paul had time to stop by Jill's before they went.

He pulled into the Robbins’ driveway, got out and knocked on the door. Elizabeth Robbins answered. Paul apologized for the intrusion, but wanted to know if it would be possible for him to wish Jill a Merry Christmas. Mrs Robbins welcomed him inside the house, then called for Jill. Paul asked her mom if she still had the present he dropped off at Thanksgiving. Mrs Robbins nodded. And then left to get it. Jill came into the living room, and seeing Paul there, immediately went over to him and picked him up and gave him a hug. She asked him how he was doing, to which Paul replied that he was doing well. He then asked her the same thing, and she replied that she was doing pretty good. Paul asked about Pete, the neighbor that she liked. Her eyes lit up, which told Paul all he needed to know. 

Jill carried him over to the sofa and placed him down, then sat next to him. She then proceeded to tell him all about their first date, and how nice and handsome Pete was. Paul could sense the happiness inside her, and said that he was very happy for her. By then, her mom had come in with the box. Paul told her that it was a present for her. Excitedly, she tore into the package. Opening it up, she noticed two shirts. A t-shirt, and a sweater. She lifted both of them up. Each one had the same thing written on them. On the front was ‘Merry Christmas, Jill, from your friends!’. And the back had the names of Paul, Linda, John, Mindy, Todd, Betty, Alice, George.

Jill loved the present. She bent down and hugged Paul once again. It became a special gift for her. It let her know that she did have friends, and it made her the happiest she had ever been in her life. 

Paul could see the joy in her eyes, and realized that it was his cue to leave. He gave Jill a hug, thanked Mrs Robbins for letting him visit, and then drove back home, feeling really good about his visit.

Once he was back home, he got his presents for Linda, and then followed his parents over to her house. He rushed to the door and knocked. Stephanie answered, and hugs and Merry Christmases were exchanged. Everyone entered the living room. Linda was trying to play it cool, because she was really proud of the gift she got Paul, and was trying not to act impatient. 

Paul spotted his Queen sitting on the sofa, and made his way over to her. Finally she let loose and gave him a hug and a kiss and wished him Merry Christmas. And he did the same. Then she gave Paul the gift she got for him, excitement running through her eyes. Paul opened it, and saw a watch. But not just any watch. It was a fairly expensive one, but the face didn't contain numbers, it contained a picture of him and Linda from the summer, with huge smiles on their faces. Paul thought it was the most special gift anyone could have gotten him.  

Next was her turn. She opened a large box, and it contained a plush robe in her favorite color, lavender, plus matching slippers. She was excited for them, but the second one she opened blew her mind. Paul got her a pair of earrings that matched  her ring. Linda started crying. She thought that they were the most beautiful earrings that she had ever seen, and she realized that Paul probably spent his entire tutoring money on her. 

Paul could see the look on Linda's face, so he pulled her closer to him and whispered in her ear that she was a Queen, his Queen, and he would always treat her as one. And then he gave her a tender kiss on the cheek, and gently caressed her face, wiping away the tears that had been flowing from her eyes. And then she felt it. There was a wetness between her legs that she had felt before, when she and Paul had sex, and feeling embarrassed, she excused herself and went to the bathroom, then into her room to change her underwear. She emerged 10 minutes later, and looked at Paul like she wanted him right then and there. But that would have to wait. It was Christmas, and a time to celebrate.

Christmas turned out to be one of the best holidays that anyone could remember. Linda and Paul were excited for their future, and being able to play Santa Claus to the children. Linda was casually asking Debbie questions so that she could get a better sense of how Paul liked certain things done. Paul's mom winked at her. She knew what Linda was trying to do, so she hugged the big girl, and told her all she had to do was just be the girl that he fell in love with. Everything else didn't matter. It was what was in her heart that he valued more than anything.

But once the dinner was over, it was time to look forward to spending New Year's Eve at Alice’s house. Her parents were going away for a few days, and she decided that she would have her friends over. So she and George prepped her house, first making sure that there would be plenty of food and drink, followed by making sure that there was plenty of room in case people were unable to drive home. Everyone was looking forward to hanging out, watching the ball drop, hearing fireworks go off, and spending time together. 

Paul picked Linda up at 7:00pm. They both had to promise her parents that they would behave themselves and he promised that he would not drive if he was impaired in any way. He had been joking with Victor about the behaving rules, but he was definitely serious about not driving if he couldn't. He would not risk Linda’s life.

But once they left, and were on their way to Alice’s, they laughed about some of the promises they had to make. They felt like little kids being given a talking to by mom and dad. Paul knew Victor and Stephanie meant well. Linda was their little girl, their 8’ tall little girl, and they were just making sure that she would be safe.

Once they got to Alice's house, Paul parked, and escorted Linda out of the vehicle. They had been to the house a couple of times, but Paul and Linda were still amazed at the size. It was cavernous, even by Alpha standards. And they kept joking with each other about taking a friend to the bathroom with them, in case they got lost. But it was a beautiful structure. Paul kept thinking about all the people it would take to clean the place. 

Once at the front door, Linda knocked, and George answered. Paul thought that he looked more awake than he had, probably because Alice was too busy planning the party, giving her man some time off for good behavior. George bent down to give Linda a hug, and then bent down on his knees to shake Paul's hand. He escorted them into the living room. Paul and Linda noticed two things. They were the first to arrive, and second, the sofa and chairs had been removed, replaced with eight bean bag cushions, Alpha sized. Paul thought that it was a nice touch, as it would be easier for him, John, and Mindy to sit comfortably among the giants. 

But no sooner had George taken them to the living room when there was a knock at the door. George left, and returned a couple of minutes later with John and Mindy following behind. Everyone said hi, as there was another knock at the door. George left and returned with Todd and Betty. Finally, with everyone there, he could relax for a few minutes.

It was then that Alice came down the steps wearing a tight black sweater, with extremely noticeable mounds in the middle of her chest. Paul thought of how lucky George was, because he was truly going where no man had gone before. But as sexy and gorgeous as Alice was, Paul thought that his Linda was every bit her equal in the beauty department. And he just kept thinking about the day he was going to marry her. She would be Mrs Linda Barton. But then he wondered if she would ask him to take her last name. He thought of Mr Paul Mills. It had a strange ring to it. But that was down the road. Here he was, with his friends, enjoying a relaxing New Year's Eve. 

Alice and George brought around a bowl, and demanded that all keys be placed inside, with a please at the end. Everyone complied with the demand/request. And they placed the bowl high up, where only people their size could reach. So Todd was out of luck, as well as everyone else not Alpha sized.

Finally, the hosts offered drinks. Beer and wine coolers. Everyone said what they wanted, except for Linda. She had never had a drop of alcohol in her life, and she initially refused. But Paul had a beer, as did Todd and John, while Mindy and Betty had the coolers. Nobody made anything of Linda not drinking, because they knew her, and they never pressured one another.

They were relaxing on their bean bags when the subject of highschool came up. And it stirred memories, some good, some bad. George recalled the incident on the bus between Alice and Paul, which caused them to both look down at the floor. It was a subject both had tried to forget, especially since they became friends. But George pointed out that because of what happened, he felt enough confidence to approach the most beautiful girl in school. And he would always remember that it was Paul that showed him the way. Paul downplayed the whole situation, saying that the credit should go to Alice for being very restrained in her dealings with him. He was grateful, because he knew that he would have been in serious trouble if she truly wasn't a nice person underneath her facade.

Alice remained silent. She had nothing to add, nor any desire to add, to the story. To her, it was best left in the past. She would have to let George know that. 

John, Mindy, and Betty really had nothing to add to the topic. John had his encounter with Alice on the bus, and was hoping to forget it. Alice had turned out to be a really cool person, but he had experienced first hand what would happen when she decided to exert her size and strength. It wasn't pretty. He hoped to never experience it again.

Todd had hoped to erase everything about his freshman and sophomore years from his memory, except when he got to know Betty. Freshman year saw him struggling to fit in, and sophomore year was the Jill year, when she bullied him out of highschool. He liked that Paul had wanted to see her, but every once in a while, when her name was mentioned, he would tense up. And even though Paul said that she had changed, his emotional scars were still present.

George knew that he made a big mistake in bringing up the Alice/Paul bus incident. The mood of the gathering went from upbeat to sour in the span of a milisecond. He felt bad. He was only trying to compliment Paul, yet succeeded in killing the mood. He wanted to apologize to everyone, but thought that if he belabored the point, it would cause the atmosphere to deteriorate even further.

Linda silently cursed George. Out of all the non Alpha friends, it took her the longest to warm up to Alice. She remembered vividly how Paul was treated by her and her friends. And when the problems with Jill started to become serious, it upset her that neither she nor George stepped in to help him. And now they were talking to him like he was a lifelong friend. Her emotions were starting to get the better of her, and without thinking, asked for a wine cooler. The room grew silent, with everyone not sure if they heard correctly. Linda repeated the request again, and Alice stood up to get it for her.

Linda took the large bottle from Alice and had her first taste of alcohol. Everyone watched. They wanted to see her reaction. She looked like she just ate a lemon. Paul asked her if she was alright, and Linda gave him a half-hearted smile. But she had another sip, and felt it tasted better. She then drank more of it, and once she got used to the taste, found it more enjoyable. She drank it fairly quickly. Paul was on his second beer, and was starting to feel a slight buzz. He had never had more than 1 at any particular time. He was always conscious of remaining level headed, and didn't want to end up on the wrong end of an encounter because he couldn't see straight. 

Alice ordered pizza, and brought out chips and dip. She was feeling a little down. She wanted to have her friends over, and make sure that they had a good time. Instead, George mentioned the bus incident and it pretty much killed the mood. She knew what he was trying to do, and really loved that he had a kind heart, but felt that this was one time he should have kept his thoughts to himself. There was a lot of negativity associated with that day. And she suspected that Linda didn't fully trust her because of it. But the incident was mentioned, the mood changed, and she just had to make sure that fences were mended.

Alice asked Linda if she could help with something in the kitchen. She wasn't sure if the giant girl was serious at first, but saw she was, and stood up to follow her. The one plus bottles of wine coolers she had was starting to have an effect. Never having a drop of alcohol before, it was starting to give her buzz. 

She was alone with Alice in the kitchen, not sure of what she needed help with. Alice turned and looked at Linda, and said that she realized that she didn't trust her completely, and she couldn't blame her. She had been a Queen Bitch to Paul and his friends. She couldn't undo the pain and hurt she caused. 

Linda looked at her and got up enough courage to speak her mind. She told Alice that what she did to both Paul and John on the bus was wrong. Especially with John, whose only crime was simply being Paul's friend. What the hell gave her the right to use her size as a way to bully and threaten people? Especially Paul, who was only trying to defend his friends! And the way she and George talk to Paul now was hypocritical. He really needed their help with Jill, but they were nowhere to be found. How would she feel if the situation was reversed? If George was facing danger, and she was worried sick about him, and people who could help decided that it wasn't worth it. How would she feel? Linda had tears running down her face.

But what she said stung Alice. Linda was 100% correct. When given a chance to help someone smaller and weaker than her, she failed to act. Paul was injured in his encounter with Jill, but never lost his courage. She found that she lacked it when he needed her the most. Tears had formed in Alice’s eyes. And could only offer weak acknowledgement of the facts. She asked if Linda could forgive her for what she did, and didn't do? Linda looked at her hostess, and saw genuine remorse, and felt sorry for her. She didn't know what to make of Alice when she first sat with them at the prom, but she did seem to be a nice person once they got to know her. She moved closer to Alice and gave her hug, or at least attempted to give her a hug. Linda was 8’, but Alice was over 5 ft taller than she was, so she did the best she could. Alice returned the embrace, tears flowing from the two women. And once they composed themselves, they made their way back out into the living room and sat down.

Linda finished her drink and asked for another. George handed her the bottle, and she finished it before Paul finished his second beer. She asked for another, and Akice got it for her. Linda took her time drinking her third wine cooler. She felt more relaxed. She looked over at Paul. He was talking to Todd and John. She kept thinking about Christmas, when Paul wiped tears away from her face. He hit an area that caused a sensation that resulted in something happening between her legs. It was constantly in the back of her mind. 

Paul had a third and final beer. He knew that Linda had been upset. He thought George was making way too much of the bus incident. But as soon as he mentioned it, he could feel Linda's mood go south big time. And when Alice asked for her help in the kitchen, he didn't know what to expect. It was after they returned, saw the evidence of tears, that he sensed Linda was more at peace. She and Alice probably had a heart to heart talk, and apparently it did them both some good.

He was surprised that Linda was having a fourth wine cooler. She never drank before, and Paul knew that she would feel terrible in the morning. He had seen it in college. Many morning classes were missed by students who drank the night before, and either slept through their alarm, or felt too terrible to get out of bed.

But once Linda was finished, it was time to watch the ball drop. Midnight was quickly approaching, and Linda was feeling great. Paul was with her, and a fresh, new year was about to begin. He sat on her lap. She could feel his body against hers, and it was driving her crazy. She wanted to take him right then and there, but she also wanted to see the ball drop. George and Alice had shown them were they could sleep, so that was taken care of.

Then the countdown began. Soon it was 5,4,3,2,1!!! HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!! Everyone hugged and congratulated each other for making it through another year. And as they were talking, Linda took Paul by the hand, and led him into their bedroom. Paul was feeling really happy, and never noticed Linda locking the door behind him. But when he turned around to see where she was, he was floored. She was already undressed, and moving closer to him in a way that could only be described as a lioness stalking her prey. 

Paul asked a very beautiful, but a very naked Linda, what she was doing. But she only gave him a sly smile as she stood in front of him. She eyed him up and down, then pointed out to him that he was still dressed. But the way she said it let Paul know that she was expecting him to follow suit, and quickly. Paul told Linda that it wasn't the right time. She was drunk, and he wouldn't take advantage of her in that condition. 

Linda totally ignored what he was saying and picked him up and laid him on the floor, positioning herself on top in such a way as to make it impossible for Paul to move. She unbuckled his pants and pulled them off, and there wasn't anything he could do about it, except to tell her to stop.

Ignoring his complaints, she removed his underwear and ran her fingers all over his very erect shaft. He continued to protest, but she just kept moving her hand all around. Paul demanded that she let him up. She looked at him with mischievous eyes and asked in a mocking tone if he found her attractive? He looked at her like she was crazy. She asked him again, and he said that she was beautiful. She asked him is she was as beautiful as Alice? Paul was stunned by the question, but noticing her stare, told her that she was more beautiful than Alice. 

She smiled. As soon as the words left his lips she put hers on his member and moved her tongued all around, while keeping him in place with her hands. Paul felt helpless. This was so unlike the Linda he fell in love with. It was like she was possessed by a sex demon. He couldn't do anything but let her have her way with him. 

Paul could feel himself building to a climax, only for Linda to remove her lips from his shaft and bring her face above his. Looking into his eyes, she told him that she would be the best wife in the world to him, as she lowered her mouth onto his. Her sexual aggressiveness went away, replaced by the tender and gentle giantess that he loved, and returned her kisses with much more passion. And then she rolled off the top of him and onto her back, and gently led him into position. But she produced a condom for him to put on, and once he did, penetrated her as far as he could and they started their rhythmic dance. Linda started to moan as Paul moved faster and faster, until he exploded inside the rubber and she let out a loud moan. 

Paul pulled out, and looked into her eyes and told her that he loved her more than anything in the world. She gently held his face in her large hands and kissed him like she hadn't a care in the world, and told him the same thing. They just laid there, with him on top, talking about their future life and family. The rhythm of her breathing relaxed him to the point that he fell asleep. Linda kept talking about their life together, unaware that he passed out. It wasn't until she heard the snoring that she knew. She just put her arms around him, and closed her eyes and drifted off into an equally deep sleep.

Both of the woke up sometime just after sunrise. Paul felt tired and sore from his sex with Linda. She felt tired with a splitting headache, and it made her feel like getting sick. Paul noticed her distress and rubbed her back. He told her that she was experiencing her first hangover. He told her that if she ate a little something and drank water, she would start to feel better. But the way she was feeling, Linda swore off alcohol for good. Paul said he understood, but silently laughed at her declaration. Only time would tell.

Paul and Linda left Alice's sometime before noon. As achy and tired as he felt, he was definitely in better shape than Linda. She had never drank alcohol before, but once she had her first wine cooler, she found that she couldn't stop. As a result, the train running through the middle of her skull wasn't stopping, and wasn't going away, and Linda’s memories of the events leading up to and after midnight were spotty. Paul wished that he would have encouraged her to stop after three coolers had been consumed, but George had brought up an extremely sensitive subject, and she just needed to unwind.

As they drove back to Linda's, Paul spotted a diner. He thought that food and a cup of strong coffee would help her. Once inside, the hostess looked at the couple, and with a warm smile, asked Alpha or Beta? Paul said Alpha as Linda said Beta. He looked up at her and told her that she should choose the table size that would be most comfortable for her. She repeated Beta, so that was where they sat. Paul felt a little guilty due to the fact that Linda had to hunch over to eat. He knew that would make it extremely uncomfortable for her. But she was adamant that they sit in the Beta section.

Both ordered coffee, and before Paul could even start on his Linda had finished hers, and had ordered a second cup. He asked her if she was doing alright, and she wearily answered yes. They didn’t need the menu to know what they wanted. Paul told her that money was no object, because she was treating. 

Linda didn’t get the joke at first, then realized what Paul had said, and let out a weak laugh. The server came back and took their order, and Linda continued to work on her coffee. As she was nearing the bottom of the cup, she had hazy visions running through her mind of the previous night’s events. She was going to dismiss them as just her mind still in dream mode, but the images felt awfully real. She had thoughts of confronting Alice, and about forcing Paul to have sex with her. She shuddered at the thought of her behaving that way, yet they wouldn’t leave her head.

She asked him if she had said anything to Alice, and he told her that they both disappeared into the kitchen for a good twenty minutes, and that neither looked terribly happy afterwards. Linda’s heart sank at the confirmation of that event, because it forced her to come to the realization that maybe she forced herself on Paul without his permission. She tentatively asked him what happened later on. He played dumb, and said that he didn’t understand her question. She asked him what happened after they went into the bedroom. Paul hesitated before answering, which told Linda that her worst fears were real. She started crying, apologizing to him for her behavior, saying that she didn’t know what she was doing, and she asked him for forgiveness.

Paul could tell that she was really upset, and reached out and took her large hand, caressing it as he told her that she had no reason to apologize. They were going to be husband and wife, and sooner than they thought, and that they could never do anything to one another that would be considered inappropriate. She was still crying, so he leaned closer to her and told her a secret. He was turned on by her behavior. He couldn’t explain it, but he just found it sexy that she took the lead in them having sex, because he had never seen that side of her. He kind of enjoyed it. She looked at him and he gave her a wink and kissed her hand, flashing a million dollar smile.  

She stopped crying just as the food arrived. Paul was always amazed by Linda’s appetite. He could eat more than his fair share, but she could double that amount without breaking a sweat, and was still able to maintain her awesome figure. It had to be the increased metabolism due to her version of the formula. And as he thought, once she ate and had coffee, she perked up, and the train running through her head had finally left for good.

They paid their bill, and as he was about to help her into the vehicle, she bent down and kissed him, apologizing for her behavior. He looked at her, and told her again that she had nothing to apologize for. He loved her. And that he would have to get used to her getting her kink on! She looked shocked, as he gave her another wink, putting her mind at ease. She smiled, feeling much better than when the day started. 

After Paul dropped Linda off, he made his way home. He was tired, but knew that sleep was out of the question, so he picked up the phone and dialed the Robbins house. Mrs Robbins answered. He apologized for calling on New Year's day, but he asked if he could come over and visit Jill. She didn't have a problem, but let him know that Pete was there, and so she would have to ask her daughter if she wanted him to visit. Paul told her no problem. A couple of minutes later, she came back on and let him know that Jill said it was ok, so Paul said thank you and drove over to the house.

He arrived at his destination. Paul thought back to his entire situation with Jill, and was fairly amazed that she had come really far in her treatments. He found that he thoroughly enjoyed his visits with her. He realized that they did him as much good as they did for her. He had started his regular visits because when he had found out that she had been bullied in first grade, and worse, physically assaulted and humiliated by her classmates, he just developed an enormous amount of sympathy for her. And once he was healed of the injuries he suffered at her hands, he just felt the insane need to talk with her. 

Knocking on the door, he was surprised when he saw it was Jill that was greeting him. They said their hellos, and he noticed that she was proudly wearing the sweater that he had gotten her for Christmas. And more to the point, she looked like she was at total peace with her life. He thought that Pete was probably a good influence on her. She escorted him into the living room, and lifted him onto a chair, and he wished the both of them a very Happy New Year. She sat next to Pete on the sofa. 

Paul told her that he thought it was really cool that she was wearing the shirt he got her for Christmas. 

She beamed a warm smile. He asked them how their holiday was, and Pete beat her to be the first to respond. He said that it was wonderful, as he held her hand, and described the events of Christmas dinner and New Year's Eve. Paul kept thinking about how far Jill had come from the first day he met her. Back then, there was a sadistic undercurrent running through her. Now, it seemed to be completely replaced by genuine caring about not only Pete, but other people. He was truly happy for her. 

And when he was done visiting Jill, he went home and found himself struggling to stay awake. The long night had finally caught up with him. He made it to his bed, and closed his eyes. Next thing he knew, it was midnight, and he was hungry. He went out into the kitchen and found a note from his mom. They ordered out, and his meal was in the fridge. He was grateful for his parents.

But once the break was over, Paul and Linda drove back to college. They both thought that being home for a month was nice, and spending time with family and friends enjoyable, but they kind of missed the campus life. And it would be good to see their roommates again. After being dropped off at her dorm, Linda made her way into her room, only to find it was being occupied by Missy and another freshman, who were “relaxing” while in bed. 

Linda apologized for disturbing them, while the couple scrambled to get dressed quickly. Missy introduced her friend as Josh, and an embarrassed look came over his face. Missy told him to relax, that Linda was cool. But it didn't make a difference, his face was still red. He told Missy that he would call her later, and quickly departed the room, leaving the two girls alone. 

Paul made it into his room. Brian wasn't back on campus yet, so he just made himself comfortable on the floor and watched TV. He really didn't find anything that he was interested in watching, and thought about calling Linda, but he realized that she was probably still getting situated. He would call her later. 

The rest of the school year went off without a hitch. Both Paul and Linda made the Dean's list, and a week before finals, Paul was called into the office of the department head. He had no idea why, as his grades were tops in the class, and was a little apprehensive as a result. The middle aged professor who was the chair, had told Paul that Mr Tony Robbins had been calling him regularly to check in how he was progressing in school. He was excited by what he heard, and was offering him a chance to intern for the summer at his company. 

Paul was stunned by the offer. He was grateful that Mr Robbins had paid for both him and Linda to go to college. But this was something totally different. He knew Jill's father owned a communications company, but even then, he didn't think his time in school was all that special. The department head told him that Tony Robbins was coming in next week to formally offer him the internship. It was up to Paul, but it would look awfully great on a resume if he did intern. Companies were always looking for the best and brightest, especially those that always accepted challenges. But he stressed that it was totally up to him, and he had a week to either accept or turn down the offer. Paul thanked his professor, and left to go back to his dorm, stunned by the offer.

Mr Robbins did arrive on campus, and Paul accepted. He remembered telling Linda, and her reaction was priceless. She told him that he better accept, or else her body would be off limits to him until their wedding night. And she looked serious. So to him, it was a no brainer. He thanked Mr Robbins for the offer. Mr Robbins told him that he would be working with his top manager, Desmond Jones. He gave Paul the man’s number, and told him to call and work out the details. Paul thanked the Alpha again for his generosity. 

As Tony Robbins was driving home, he recalled his conversation with Desmond Jones, the best manager he ever hired. He told his manager what he was going to offer Paul, explained that the boy was a Beta, and told him to expect the boy to surprise him with a fearlessness that he wouldn't find in an Alpha. He told him that Paul had balls of steel, and would quickly pick up any and all knowledge like he knew it from birth. He was that good. And Robbins was planning on opening a second office, and needed his top manager to oversee the operation. So that meant that he needed to find his replacement, and the more he heard from Paul's professor, the more he was convinced that the Beta was the right person for the job.

The day after Paul and Linda returned home for the summer, Paul made the call to Mr Jones, and made the arrangements. Paul would start a week later. There would be an orientation session, followed by a tour, and then he would officially begin the following day. Paul had money saved from his tutoring job, so he bought new suits from the only place in town that still catered to Betas. He wanted to look sharp for his first day.

Finally, the day arrived. Paul was there 20 minutes before his appointment with Desmond Jones. He was extremely nervous, as he had no idea what to expect. He went into the lobby and stepped up on the four foot step stool, and introduced himself to the receptionist and said that he had a 9:00 appointment with Mr Jones. The young Alpha lady behind the desk smiled at him and dialed an extension on her phone. 

Paul kept going over things in his mind. It was when he heard the receptionist say the words ‘Dad, a Mr Paul Barton is here to see you’ did it dawn on him who her father was. She introduced herself as Molly Jones, and extended her first two fingers for him to shake. It took Paul a minute to grasp the situation. Here was an extremely attractive Alpha girl that looked like she should have been in 8th grade, and it was her father that he had to see. So, he did the only thing he could, and shook her fingers. 

He saw a middle aged Alpha man walking towards the desk. He said hello to his daughter, and introduced himself as Desmond Jones, manager of Robbins Communication. Paul introduced himself as well, and held out his hand. Mr Jones gently engulfed his much smaller one and shook. Paul never broke eye contact, which Desmond Jones thought was impressive, as nearly all Betas that he had ever met had always looked away. As they walked towards the room where orientation would be taking place, Paul never noticed the pair of eyes that were intently watching him. And once the two men were in the room and out of sight, Molly Jones sighed. She thought Paul was very cute and  adorable. But she had work to do, and the phones kept ringing and visitors kept coming.

They had a few minutes before the presentation. There were several other people in the room. Three Alphas, two males and one female, and Paul. He didn't know them, but he introduced himself to them. The girl gave a courtesy hello, then ignored him. The two men said hello and introduced themselves, Chris Lee and Pete Cushing. Paul asked the girl if everything was alright, and he got no response. He got up and walked over to her. Even sitting, she was more than two feet taller than he was. He just stood there, until she turned her head and looked down at him, and told him to go away. He didn't move. She started to get up, and yet, Paul didn't flinch. She then demanded to know what he wanted. He told her that he wanted her to smile. She told him to piss off. He just stayed there and asked her for one little smile. She told him no, and that he better move it. 

Paul sighed. He told her that she was smart not to smile, because a wise man once said that nobody ever lends money to a person with a sense of humor. She looked at him strangely, and asked him what was he talking about? He told her again that nobody ever lends money to a person with a sense of humor. She just looked at him, and asked if it was true. He said that he had absolutely no idea, but he just wanted her to smile, because she looked miserable. She smiled and introduced herself as Pam.

Just then Desmond Jones came into the room and asked Paul to come with him. He said goodbye to the others, and followed the giant man out of the room. They went into another office, but this one was Mr Jones’. He had a step stool next to a chair, and asked Paul to take a seat, which the young man did. Sitting behind his desk, he looked at the Beta in front of him, and told him congratulations, he passed the test. Paul was confused, and looked like he was having trouble following a maze which wound around itself. Mr Jones said that he needed to see how he would react to a potentially hostile situation involving someone much bigger and stronger than he was, and he handled it like a pro. He was very impressed. He told him that Robbins Communication had only Alphas working there, and they needed to make sure that Paul would remain calm and in control at all times, and he did. 

Mr Jones asked Paul if he had someone in his life, and he said yes, and described Linda, and everything he felt about her. The Alpha nodded. He said that was excellent, telling the Beta that the greatest thing that ever happened to him was finding his wife. If one could find their soulmate, it made everything else easier, and more enjoyable. Just having someone to come home to, to raise a family with, was the most indescribable feeling in the world. 

Paul said he agreed. He knew almost instantly that he and Linda would be together forever. Desmond Jones asked Paul if he could inquire about how he knew Tony Robbins, as he appeared to be someone that wouldn't normally have any contact with the owner of the company. Paul told him everything about what happened sophomore year in highschool, leaving nothing out. He described the encounters with Jill Robbins, and the subsequent injuries. He also told the man about his visits with Jill, which took him by surprise. Paul could see the look of confusion on Mr Jones’ face, and explained that he had always hated bullies. But when he heard about Jill’s story, he just wanted to let her know that he would be there for her if she ever needed a friend. 

This impressed Desmond Jones the most, and now he understood what Tony Robbins had seen in the boy. Unwavering character traits of loyalty and honor. They were very hard to come by. But this Beta had them in spades, plus his lack of intimidation when Pam “threatened” him. He would indeed make a great manager.

Paul finished up his internship at the beginning of August. He was grateful for the experience and opportunity, as he learned valuable lessons in how to navigate dealing with Alphas in the business world. High school and college were one thing, but interacting with professionals who knew their job inside and out was definitely eye opening.

Desmond Jones was extremely impressed by the young Beta male that spent the summer just showing him at every opportunity that he could handle the Alpha/Beta dynamic in the workplace with confidence, honesty, and a level headedness that belied his youth. Whatever Tony Robbins saw in the boy was definitely very real. It allowed him to “take a day off” here and there and leave Paul in charge. Desmond Jones really didn't take off, but would occupy an unused office. He just needed to know that the Beta could handle things without him being there, and unsurprisingly, he did. He quickly earned the respect of the Alpha workforce. 

Desmond would call Mr Robbins every few days and give him updates on Paul. Tony Robbins was becoming convinced more and more that Paul would make a great manager within his company. He was going to open a second office, which he wanted Desmond Jones to run, and needed to find a capable replacement for him. He knew Paul was that person.

Linda had been fairly busy herself. She had volunteered at a daycare for the summer. She wanted to be a teacher, and needed the experience. She found that she really enjoyed being around children. Her personality was able to shine through, and the young children loved her. And the more she was around them, the more she thought about having her own with Paul. 

They had conversations about names, which Paul made clear that he didn't want a son named after him. This stung her at first, as she really wanted to show her love for him by naming their son after him, but Paul was adamant.

With everyone either working or on family vacations, there had been very little time to spend together. John and Mindy, Todd and Betty, and George and Alice had their own lives to live, and finding a way for them to hang out together became almost impossible. 

But they agreed that the Sunday before they went back to college would be the day. Meeting at Paul's house, it became apparent to all of them that get-togethers in the future would be nearly impossible. Highschool had been the one bond that held them together, but with everyone going off on their own, the tightness was fading away. So there was a somber mood to the gathering.

Once everyone had left, Paul took Linda back to her house. Victor and Stephanie had become a true second set of parents to Paul. They knew that he would never leave Linda’s side, and would always love and support her. As parents, it was all they could ever ask for with regards to their daughter. 

After saying hello to her parents, Paul followed Linda into her room. Even though both were 19, they always made sure that they respected the wishes of her parents, who only asked that nothing happen while they were in the house. But it never stopped the young lovebirds from kissing and getting handsy with each other. They would wait until they got back to college.

Around midnight, Paul and Linda kissed goodnight, and then he headed back to his house. But no sooner did he stepped through the door then the phone started ringing. He looked at the time and was surprised, but he answered. An uncontrollable, hysterical voice was on the other end. It took him a moment to realize that it was Jill, and from what he could make out, she had an argument with Pete, and he stormed out on her, and wouldn't answer her calls. She wanted to know what to do.

Already tired, but wanting to be there for her, he told her that he would be there in a few minutes. So out to his car he went, and headed for the Robbins. After the 10 minute drive, he pulled into the driveway, and noticed that Jill was waiting for him outside, tears running down her face. 

He reached her and tried to give her a hug in order to calm her down, but his arms couldn't reach around her body. He also couldn't reach up high enough to wipe the tears flowing from her eyes. So he attempted to take hold of her hand, only to find that with Jill being so upset, he couldn't move it. So Paul just sat down on the steps, and waited for her to join him.

Jill calmed down enough to sit next to Paul. He let her know that he would be there when she was ready to talk. Jill was trying to calm the million thoughts running through her head, once she was able to do that, she asked him an extremely odd question.

She asked him if she was someone who he could spend the rest of his life with? It took Paul a good amount of time to digest the question. He was suddenly feeling uneasy, as he had no idea of the context behind her question. He initially tried to play coy, asking her what she meant.

He was relieved when she described the issue surrounding her fight with Pete. She had mentioned about the possibility of getting engaged, but he told her that he wasn't ready to take that step. She then asked him if he loved her, and he said yes. Then she asked him why he didn't want to get engaged. Pete told her again that wasn't ready to take that step. 

She pushed him for an answer, and after repeatedly telling her how he felt, he was getting frustrated. After her pushing of the issue, he told her that he had had enough, and walked out the house. She had been trying to call him, but he wouldn't return her calls. 

Suddenly, Paul understood her initial question. He placed his hand on her much larger one, and tried to reassure her that yes, she was someone he could spend his life with. He tried to explain to her that some guys just take longer to arrive at the right decision. 

He asked her if she loved Pete, and Jill said yes. He asked her if he loved her, and she said that he told her he did. Paul told her that everything would be fine. Pete just needed a little time to calm down. He told her that they made a great couple, but that she just needed to be a little patient. Pete would come around and everything would be fine. She just had to let him come to the conclusion on his own. 

Jill smiled down at Paul, and then put her arm around him and held him against her body. He realized that he would never be able to break free, and not wanting to upset her further, just let her hold him in place. 

After what seemed like an eternity, Jill finally released Paul from against her body. She had calmed down enough to start feeling tired. She yawned, which caused him to do the same. He looked at his watch. 2:30am, that was the time. He was feeling really tired himself. He stood up to leave, first making sure that Jill would be alright. She said she was, then surprised him by pulling him towards her and kissing him on the cheek, thanking him for being her first and only true friend. 

Paul stepped back and noticed little tears running down her face, which he wiped away. Even though she was sitting and he was standing, he looked up into her eyes and told her something that he had been telling her for some time. He would always be there for her. All she had to do was call, but that she should expect things to work out with Pete.

With those words, he said goodnight to her, and then headed home. Paul felt bad for Jill. She was in love with Pete, and he was pretty sure he loved her, but her self doubt and lack of confidence probably contributed to the situation. He didn't know Pete at all, except for the couple of times he met him at her house. But he was sure she would be fine. He just needed to get home and into bed.

The week flew by. Paul and Linda loaded the vehicle with everything they were taking to college. Both were excited for their sophomore year. With the experience they both gained during the summer, Paul and Linda felt that the upcoming school year would be easier than their freshman year. 

Paul pulled up to Linda’s dorm and walked inside with her. Missy, Linda’s roommate, was already settled, and lounging on large sofa. Both said hi to the Alpha, who cheerfully replied. She had warmed up to Paul, who disarmed her Alpha superiority with his charm and respect. 

Once Linda was unpacked and settled, Paul kissed her and then went to his dorm to unpack his stuff. Brian, his Tweener roommate, had just finished with his stuff, and gave Paul a hand. Once they caught up with what happened during the summer, they settled for the night a few beers, which Brian said were ‘ mysteriously left in the fridge’ over the summer. The roommates looked at each other, nodded, and drank their beers in silence. 

Author's note:

This story picks up when the main characters are in their early thirties.

Jill Robbins had her boyfriend, Pete, over one night when her parents went out to dinner. One thing led to another, and without the use of protection, she found herself pregnant. 

Her father, Tony, normally a reserved businessman, felt anger and disappointment in Pete, saying that he took advantage of his daughter in her delicate mental state. 

Eventually, his anger faded, especially when Jill decided that she was going to keep the baby. Pete proposed, and they were married, ensuring that the child would have both parents taking care of it. 

And several things happened that made it kind of exciting. First one was when the ultrasound revealed a baby girl growing inside Jill. Tony Robbins was going to be a grandfather to a girl! He secretly wished that for as long as he could remember.

Second, Jill and Pete decided to ask Paul and Linda to be the godparents. Linda was thrilled by the request. Paul normally would have jumped for joy, but something was eating at him, and he didn't feel as happy as Linda.

Third, when deciding on names, Jill really wanted the baby to be named after Paul. So Paula it was. To her, it was her ultimate way of saying thank you to the one person on the face of the Earth that became a true friend, even after what she did to him. He stood by her, even when it caused problems with Linda in the beginning. She always wondered what would have happened if he didn't have Linda, and she didn't have Pete.

Fourth, Jill’s generation was the first to discover that parents who took the original formula, and became pregnant, would give birth to babies of proportional size. The baby would be about 2 times the size of a normal sized baby. It was believed that any child born would need the formula shots to grow, but that was no longer the case. So the world was now going to be introduced to a whole set of scenarios that it didn't prepare for, like regular sized male teachers of First Grade being smaller than all the students, male and female, in the class. 

Alice and George had married, and had a house built that was near his construction business, which had seen exponential growth. He had become very successful, and wealthy, which allowed her to work until she became pregnant.

When Alice found out she was pregnant with twins, she quit her job and became a stay-at-home mom, which she loved. Terry and Tiffany came into the world very healthy, and very active, constantly being unable to lay still. 

Alice made friends with her neighbors, and settled into her life as a mother. Making doctor appointments, going to parent/teacher conferences, and providing George with home cooked meals after a long day at the office gave her a fulfillment that she didn't think possible. 

She had become friends with Jill, and would have her and Linda over on a regular basis. Thanks to Paula being born first, schools were now prepared for when Terry and Tiffany attended, as tweener sized teachers like Linda were in high demand.

Paul and Linda married just after graduating from college. It was a beautiful ceremony. AJ and Todd were co-best men, which left Linda scrambling to find a second maid of honor besides Alice.

Paul had gone to work for Tony Robbins after college. Jill’s father was so impressed by his ability to run a diverse office that he promoted him within the company. 

Tony Robbins had Desmond Jones named as his successor as company president. But after talking with his right hand man, he decided that Paul would be named Vice President, one with the most authority after the President.

This shocked many in the company, but Desmond Jones pushed for it. Paul had an unbelievable ability to get the most out of the workers without being overbearing. The employees really enjoyed working for him, with several of the female alphas trying to hit on him.

But he resisted. Like Desmond Jones, Paul had an uncanny ability to devote equal time to work and family, which the older gentleman appreciated. Jones was a big believer in family, and Paul was basically a normal sized version of the older man.

Linda became a school teacher, working with first graders. Once the generation of children were born that didn't need the formula to grow exceptionally tall, normal sized teachers were phased out, and tweeners were hired in their place. The thought behind that policy was that young children taller than their teachers presented a safety risk to the teachers if they ever lashed out. It made sense.

But there were issues with Paul and Linda. His insistence on visiting Jill had caused her to become jealous. Paul explained until he was blue in the face that Jill was a friend, but that she was the love of his life. 

He didn't know if he finally convinced her, but Linda eventually warmed up to the idea of Jill being a friend, even after the incident in the high school cafeteria, and her putting Paul in the hospital. 

She had gotten help, and seemed to have a pretty good support system between Peter and Paul. She seemed to eventually mellow, and pregnancy seemed to agree with her. 

Linda was overly thrilled when asked to be godmother. No one had ever asked before. It was something that she took seriously, to the point of almost spoiling Paula.

But Paul wasn't as thrilled. He and Linda had tried like hell to start a family, but she just couldn't conceive. Eventually they saw a specialist, who, after tests, determined that the version of the formula that Linda took, was the issue, and the probability of becoming pregnant was pretty low. 

Linda was disappointed, but eventually moved past that diagnosis with the birth of Jill’s daughter. Paul was devastated. He wanted a family with Linda, but now it wasn't going to happen. He loved Linda with all his being, and knew that she would have made the best mother in the world, but she wouldn't have that chance.

It was a few months before Linda’s 32nd birthday that the miracle happened. Linda hadn't been feeling well, and went to the doctor's. A simple test revealed that she was pregnant. She called Paul at work, who upon hearing the news, went into an unoccupied office and cried tears of utter joy.

He couldn't believe it. God had granted him his wish! He was going to be a father. And their news was made even more enjoyable by the news that Alice was pregnant again, so their children would have friends to grow up with.

This was cause for a celebration, so they all met at Alice and George’s house for a barbeque. It was going to be a memorable 6 months until the babies were born. An ultrasound revealed that Linda was carrying twin girls. The news almost made Paul pass out. But it also gave him a mission to convert a spare office in their house into a room for his girls. And they would need it, because the ultrasound also showed twins that were bigger than they should have been. They were going to be Alice’s size. He thanked himself for buying a house that could handle Alphas, because they were going to have two of their own!

Author’s note

This ends the story of Paul and Linda. Of all the stories I have written, I am really proud of this arc. With stories of the formula creating Alphas and Betas, I added the twist of the tweeners, people whose size fell in between the two. I added my own touch, and I believe that I made it uniquely my own. Thank You to everyone who followed along for the love story of Paul Barton and Linda Mills!