Heyy, y'all. This is my first Bella/Jacob fic. I've only ever written for NCIS & The Hunger Games, so I hope I did this right. Please review!(:
Story Title: Firefly Catching Days
Chapter Title: First Sight
Rating: K [Though could change in later Chapters]
Summary: What if Charlie had gotten sole custody over Bella instead of Renee? With Bella growing up in Forks, what's to stop her from being best friends with Jacob? Will they fall in love? Will she even take notice of the Cullens when they arrive?
Charlie glanced in the rear view mirror to check on his baby girl. She sat remarkably still for an almost-two-year-old, and was staring placidly out the window at the wall of trees flying by them. A few minutes later when Charlie pulled up in front of the little bright red house it was as if Bella was a whole different child. She bounced in her seat, filled with renewed energy and eager to get out of the car. He smiled as he unbuckled her seat belt and as soon as her feet touched the ground she took off for the front door. She travelled as fast as her chubby toddler legs and unsteady balance would allow and Charlie caught up to her just as Billy pushed open the screen door.
"Jelly Belly!" Billy cried happily, catching the running toddler in his arms and swinging her up into a hug as she giggled.
"Down, Biwwy, down," she demanded through her giggles, "Wan' see bay Jake!"
Billy laughed as he set her down on her feet just inside the door. "Sarah's in the living room with him," he tells her and she disappears inside the house.
"Sawah!" she called, toddling into the living room flanked by both men.
A beautiful woman sat on the couch with silky pin straight raven hair down to her waist and warm onyx eyes as she grinned widely at the new comers. "Hey, Jelly Belly," Sarah greets the toddler with her usual nick name, cradling a tiny bundle wrapped warmly in a blue handmade quilt, "Come meet, Jacob."
Bella climbs up onto the couch carefully next to Sarah and peers carefully over her shoulder at the tiny baby. Her eyes go wide when his own fly open. But he doesn't cry, choosing to just look around curiously before his eyes fix on her. He has the same onyx eyes as both of his parents, framed by thick mile-long eye lashes. His skin is a beautiful shade of brown, several shades darker than Bella's creamy ivory and rose complexion. Fine tufts of soft jet black hair cover his head completely, sticking up in several different directions, and Bella reaches out tenderly, with a feather light touch; just like she had to use to pet the tiny hamster she'd been given by Harry Clearwater who was just as securely wrapped around her fingers as he was his own daughter's. But then, who wasn't wrapped around Bella's tiny chubby little fingers.
"Hi, Bay Jake," she whispers quietly as he gazes up at her curiously and she pets his soft hair tenderly.
Sarah grins up at Charlie, her face absolutely glowing. "I think she likes him," she tells him, and he nods his head in agreement.
"Of course she does. I am so happy for you guys, really," Charlie says honestly, grinning widely and clapping his best friend on the shoulder, "Congrats, guys. I thought about making a casserole or something, but I think we can all safely agree that, at best, my cooking is barely more than edible." And Billy and Sarah laugh at Charlie's glum expression. He, in turn, glowers at his best friend, who just smiles and walks to the kitchen to grab them a couple of beers.
Charlie and Billy take over the television a little while later as the Seattle SuperSonics face the Baltimore Bullets. Sarah gets up from her seat on the couch, allowing them to take over the whole living room.
"Bella, do you want to help me with Jacob in the nursery?" she asks, looking at the tiny little girl and feeling as if Bella were her own daughter.
"Yea, yea, yea!" Bella cheers, bouncing on unsteady chubby toddler legs and gripping Sarah's hand as they walk down a small hallway to the nursery.
Bella squeals in delight and points enthusiastically at the picture frame that held a piece of notebook paper covered in colorful squiggles and lines. "Fuuh Bay Jake!" she exclaims then points to herself, "Fum me!"
"Yes, Bella, thank you so much!" Sarah tells her, laying Jacob down on the changing table and strapping him in, "We thought Jacob would like to look at it."
Bella just squeals again and starts bouncing around, before realizing that she was supposed to be helping Sarah. "I hep now," she states, pushing a stool over to the table and climbing up carefully with Sarah's help.
"Okay, Bella, why don't you pick out a diaper for him," Sarah suggests, unsnapping the onesie and opening the dirty diaper. Luckily it was just number one.
"He'e go," Bella grins, handing it to Sarah proudly, then exclaims, "What that?"
Sarah laughs at Bella's reaction. "Well, sweetheart, Jacob is a boy, and boys have different…parts than girls," she tries to explain simply.
Bella just nods, thinking about this new piece of information, then giggles again. "Yooks funny!" she states, giggling some more.
"I agree," Sarah laughs, "Can you get me a wipey?"
Bella opens the container and separates one, handing it over. Together they snap up Jake's onesie again and Sarah follows Bella, who runs into the living room.
"Dada, Dada!" she cries, jumping into Charlie's lap, "Bay Jake have diff parts than girls!"
Charlie looks wide-eyed up at Sarah who shrugs her shoulders, cradling Jacob in her arms. "She helped me change his diaper," she states simply, going to sit in the rocking chair.
Bella climbs up to sit on the arm rest next to Jacob's head when the back door opens and shuts. "Hey, Sarah, just bringing the girls back! I've gotta go back to the house," Sue calls and two blurs of russet skin and raven hair race right up to Bella.
"Bella, Bella!" Rachel calls happily.
"Come play!" Rebecca demands, grinning as well.
But Bella shakes her head resolutely. "No, I stay wiff Bay Jake," she states firmly, her little finger wrapped up in his tinier fist.
"Peeasse, Bella," Rebecca begs, clasping her hands in front of her as Rachel does the same.
"Yea, Peeasse, Bella," Rachel repeats.
But Bella just shakes her head and reiterates what she'd said. The twins frown at her before going off to play in their room. Bella stays put by Jacob's side the entire visit. Eventually she starts to yawn widely just as the basketball game ends. Charlie groans as he stretches his stiff muscles and gets to his feet.
"C'mon, Bella, honey, it's time to go home and go to bed," he says, going over to ruffle her curls. But she just shakes her head stubbornly.
"No, stay wiff Bay Jake," she states firmly, refusing to budge. They argue back and forth a little but finally she relents after Charlie tells her she'll see him again tomorrow. Leaning over to Jacob she kisses his forehead and he blinks up at her. "G'bye, Bay Jake," she whispers, "I p'otect you awl-ways. Quo pat.*" Then she kisses Sarah's cheek, who returns it with a ruffle to Bella's hair and tries to hold back tears at her promise of protection, and gets down to toddle over to Billy. She holds her arms up expectantly and he pulls her up into the air to say good bye.
On the drive back home Bella falls asleep almost before Charlie can start the engine. He smiles to himself and knows that no matter what he does, he'll never ever forget the look on her face when she caught her first sight of Jacob Ephraim Black.
Review please?(:
-Sarah Elizabeth