Disclaimer: I don`t own anything Twilight related. Also I got my inspiration for this one shot from a great video on Youtube (http: / www (.) youtube (.) com / watch ? v = -Lh7S0vNgGc&feature = recentlik) by VivixBella called please, daddy, please?.
PS. This story will all be in Charlie's POV. Hope you enjoy.
My Little Cinderella
Today had been one of the most torturously long days at the precinct that I had dealt with in awhile. Didn't help matters any that my little girl, my Bella, was waiting for me at Billy's.
She was only 5 and this was one of the 4 weeks I'd see her this year. She was visiting from Phoenix where she and Renee, my ex wife are living fulltime and I wanted nothing more than to get home to her.
"Charlie," my deputy Roger shouted from across the room "Go home, spend the rest of the evening with your girl." He grinned broadly and waved exaggeratedly at the door.
I glanced between the door to freedom and the pile of paperwork still on my desk. I ran a hand over my face and sighed in frustration as I glanced at the clock.
6 o'clock. Damn.
"Screw it," I stood finally and shoved all the paperwork that still needed to be done into a backpack and headed for the door "See you tomorrow Roger."
"Yup," I heard him respond as the glass door swung shut behind me. The summer sun still blared down and a cool breeze felt good after sitting in that stagnant building all afternoon.
I took a deep breath and headed straight to my car. I pushed the legal speed limit all the way to La Push because I was rather excited to see my daughter.
She and Billy's 4 year old son Jacob were racing through a sprinkler Billy had set up in the yard and his 10 year old daughter Rachel and 12 year old Rebecca were lounging on the porch with Billy reading either a magazine or a book.
She saw me and I was thrilled when her face lit up with a cheek splitting grin. "Daddy," She shrieked, her long curly chocolate locks sticking haphazardly to her face as she spun to race towards me.
She leapt into my arms and for once I found myself unable to complain about the fact that my uniform was soaked, I'd missed her so much when she was with her mother.
"Daddy can we go home? Jakey won't let me watch Cinderella, he only wants to watch 'laddin," She pouted up at me. Her chocolate eyes that Renee had once compared to my own shone happily.
"Of course we can," I chuckled and waved goodbye to my friend and his children as my own snuggled closer to my shoulder. Rebecca had run Bella's backpack with her clothes in it out to the car and kissed Bella's cheek before running back to her sister.
I buckled Bella into the back seat and made my way to the driver's seat.
"How's chicken fingers and fries sound princess?" I asked glancing in the rear view mirror. Bella wasn't a necessarily girly girl but lately she'd been obsessed with princesses much to my enjoyment. I was never quite sure how to relate to her but she really was my little princess.
Two hours later and Bella was swaying around the living room in her tiny yellow nightgown. Cinderella was on in the background and I was busily working away at finishing up the paperwork I'd brought home.
She was humming softly and I sighed heavily frustrated that there was still so much to do.
"Daddy," She came up to me shyly and took my hand in her teensy tiny one. "Dance with me?"
"Oh Bells," I sighed again "I've got a lot of work to do."
"I know daddy but you need a break," She said softly "And I need a prince for the ball. Please daddy please?"
I glanced down at the file I was holding and then up at my daughter. Her hair was down over her shoulders and her eyes looked at me balefully and I saw the hopefulness shining in them so I did the only thing I could think of.
I put down the files and swung her into my arms and together we danced around the living room. When the movie finished we turned on the radio and continued our impromptu ball and finally at around 10 I laid her in her bed.
I stood in her doorway that night at 3 in the morning finally having finished my paperwork and listened to her soft snores.
I was going to be tired tomorrow but I'd never regret my choice. I only had so much time with her and Bella was my world. It wasn't going to be long before I wasn't her Prince Charming anymore but I'd never forget tonight and the way we danced.
Fast-forward:
Twelve years had passed since that summer night we'd danced together, Cinderella playing in the background.
"Dad," Bella's voice came from the front door "I'm home, Rose and I are going to go upstairs!"
"Okay," I shouted back.
Bella had moved in with me last summer after her mother remarried and although I hadn't told her I was enjoying her constant presence in my life.
I wasn't a great father- we had take out a minimum of three nights a week, I was a slight workaholic and I just didn't know how to relate to my now teenage daughter but I did love her with every fibre of my being.
Bella had recently started dating a young boy named Jasper who happened to be her closest friends twin brother.
Jasper and Rosalie Cullen had moved into town at about the same time Bella did and the girls hit it off on the first day of school after an unfortunate incident with some of the local girls I still didn't know the whole story behind.
I'd seen the way Jasper had looked at her when the trio had spent evenings here studying and I could see the love in his eyes. I definitely approved of their relationship and as long as he didn't hurt her I would get over no longer being the prince in her life.
"Bye Charlie!" Rose's crystalline voice called as she bounded down the stairs. That girl could be a model but then again so could their whole family. The twins parents Esme and Carlisle were a golden couple and Bella loved spending time with the Cullen family.
I had been so distracted in my reverie that I hadn't noticed the sky darkening and managed to shout "Drive carefully Rose," before the door slammed shut and I turned to see Bella leaning against the living room door frame a smile gracing her face.
"How was work?" She asked tying her hair back. She was wearing jeans and a bright yellow t shirt.
"The usual," I half grunted out not really wanting to talk about work.
"Daddy," uh oh the daddy word was coming into play usually meant something had happened but I let her continue without jumping to conclusions "I was wondering if you would help me with something?"
She looked nervous- wringing her hands together and not holding my gaze. "Of course princess," I said gently using a rarely used pet name to try to ease her nerves.
"Jasper asked me to prom," She said softly and I barely contained my smile "You know I'm a klutz, I was hoping you would help me practice my dancing? Please daddy please?"
I simply opened my arms and she raced into them grinning, an even rarer moment of affection in our house.
Our evenings over the next week were filled with practicing so that as Bella put it she wouldn't 'trip over her own two feet and look like a fool'.
The doorbell rang at 5 the evening of the prom and a nervous Jasper was revealed when I opened the door. I waved him in and called up the stairs to my daughter.
I think I was just as nervous as the young man at my side as Bella descended the stairs- I still hadn't seen the dress and I was terrified about sending her off to prom. I didn't like the idea that my baby girl was growing up. She wasn't my little princess anymore.
I breathed a sigh of relief as Bella made it to the bottom of the stairs in one piece and I finally took in all of her. She looked stunning and I felt proud that she was looking at me for approval not her boyfriend.
She was wearing a royal blue just above floor length gown. There was no poof, no taffeta, no garish 'bling' it was purely Bella. She blushed slightly and I knew she was uncomfortable so I swooped her into a large hug and whispered in her ear "You look beautiful princess," I kissed her cheek gingerly and she giggled as my moustache brushed her soft skin.
"Bella, wow," Jasper stuttered suddenly lost for words and Bella giggled again and now I knew that the blush on her cheeks was only the doing of the tall blonde boy, no man, beside me. She went from my arms to his and pressed a kiss to his lips gently.
I knew then that I'd lost my princess, she'd never be only my princess ever again. She'd found her new Prince Charming.
Fast-forward:
It was 5 years after that fateful prom night that my Bella bounded into my house a million dollar grin on her face.
She didn't say a word just thrust her left hand towards me as she leapt onto the couch beside me.
"He asked," I said torn between happiness for my daughter and sadness that in a way I was losing her for good.
"You're the first person to know. He dropped me off for the night." She rambled and I smiled at her happily.
"You deserve the best and he'll give it to you my girl," I said gruffly to keep the hint of a tear out of my voice.
She settled down and laid her head against my shoulder and held my hand tightly and I knew in my heart the thought of losing her was ridiculous- she was always my princess first.
The next weeks and months were filled with wedding plans and one Saturday six months before the wedding Bella approached me and said shyly "Daddy I know the wedding's still six months away but I need somebody to practice my dancing," she put on the puppy dog pout I hadn't seen in years before continuing "Please daddy please?"
I grinned broadly and nodded.
Every weekend for the next six months we practiced together, helped each other and had lots of laughs at the same time and finally came the day I was to give her away.
I have to admit I was having a hard time holding back tears as we walked arm in arm down the church aisle towards Jasper and I gave her away.
I hardly remember the ceremony save for the tears blurring my vision uncharacteristically. The only thing I really remember about the reception was the father daughter dance as we waltzed together in a well practiced movement and I held her close to me reluctant to let her go, for the clock to strike midnight and for her to be gone.
I will also reluctantly admit that I did shed a tear as the newlywed couple left for their honeymoon in Paris.
My princess was grown up.
Flash-forward:
"Hey daddy," My grown daughters voice snuck up beside me as I watched my 5 year old granddaughter, Lucy, dance around my backyard with her father.
Unlike my daughter, Lucy had blonde hair and blue eyes but her hair fell in curls like Bella's and it was undeniable that they were definitely mother and child.
"Princess," I greeted and gave her a small smile "She reminds me of you at that age."
She grinned "Jasper calls her princess. He says he got it from you."
I chuckled slightly "Well you were always my little princess. Now you have one of your own."
"I'll always be your princess daddy," She smiled shyly and gripped my hand tightly.
No I would never lose my princess, sure she had a husband and a family of her own but she was always my princess first and a bond like that can never be changed.