A/N This is going to be a short story. Less than 15 chapters I'm thinking. I'm up to 6 and I'm thinking one a day. This story is weird for me since the last story I wrote was Bella and Josh together. Also, parts of it might be completely unrealistic but I write for fun and researching stuff is not fun. Last thing… I made Swan their fake last name because I wanted her name to be Bella Swan still. Please review!
Joshua's POV
"I'll be gone when you wake up in the morning but I'll be back Wednesday night." I tell my 6 year old son, Sam, as he tries not to cry.
I divorced his mom 3 years ago but I come over every Monday, Wednesday and Friday night for her shifts as a nurse at the hospital. We get along alright most of the time we just didn't work in a relationship.
"I love you Dad. Are you coming to my game on Saturday?" Sam asks.
"Wouldn't miss it for anything buddy." I kiss his forehead then walk out leaving the door cracked open and the hall light on though he will deny being afraid of the dark every time.
There is a bad storm on the way and I think about Alison at the hospital. I may not love her anymore but I care about her a lot and she hates storms. So does Sam so I have a feeling he'll end up in the bed with me before the night is over.
I clean up the kitchen then grab a bag of chips and turn the news on. Sam usually gets up at least 3 times before he falls asleep.
And just like that, I need a drink, I heard a noise. Finally I think he's asleep, must have been really tired.
"Dad?" Thought too soon.
"You're supposed to be in bed Sam." I tell him.
"It's raining. Mommy is going to be scared." He tells me sadly.
"I know buddy but she knows it's safe in the hospital and she knows if it's still storming we'll go pick her up in the morning."
"Can I stay up with you?" He asks me and I can't say no to him. Alison says I give in too easily but I feel guilty that he doesn't have that perfect home life where mom and dad are home every night for dinner. He doesn't even have a puppy because Alison says they aren't home enough to take care of a puppy.
Every kid should have a puppy.
Sam curls up on the couch next to me and I change the channel from the news to reruns of How I Met Your Mother. News is too depressing for a 6 year old.
He falls asleep quickly and I move to the chair and plan to sleep there for the night.
A couple of hours later Alison is calling me telling me she is sending one of her nurse friends over to stay with Sam and I need to leave for the hospital as soon as she gets there.
20 minutes later a woman who introduces herself as Sue shows up and I head to the hospital. I have no idea what is going on but Alison isn't one to demand things for nothing.
I walk to the night receptionist and she pages her for me.
She frantically drags me into an empty room before turning my life upside down.
"Josh, Renee Marsh is here. She just delivered a full term baby. She's claiming she didn't know she was pregnant and Josh… she's claiming the baby is yours. Charlie threw her down a flight of stairs but she somehow managed to get up, get his gun and shot him. He's in surgery but he's going to be fine. You need to take the baby and leave. Go somewhere far. We'll tell him she died. I have a doctor on my side. The surgery will probably last another 5 hours or so and I'm sure we could have him kept under a bit longer but you have to take your baby girl and go. Charlie will kill her if she's yours and she goes home with him. And even if Renee lies he could still hurt her. He pushed her down a flight of stairs." Alison rambles off.
Renee and I were friends in high school but not so much anymore. We did sleep together one night when we ended up at the same bar. But a month later she moved in with Charlie.
"Alison if the baby was just born how can they know she's mine? There is far more likely chance it's Charlie's. She got with him just a week or so after I slept with her one night." I tell her.
"She'll grow up scared and unloved if she grows up at all." She whispers.
"What about Sam? What about you? What about my shop?" I ask her, my thoughts spinning.
"She's beautiful. Do you want to see her?" She ignores all my questions.
"Alison…" She turns and walks down the hall leaving me no choice but to follow her.
But we pass the nursery and she knocks on a door and walks in after grabbing my hand to make sure I follow.
Shit.
"Josh. Are you going to take her?" She asks quietly and it looks like it hurts her even to talk. She looks absolutely awful. I'm amazed that she managed to shoot him.
"Renee, I doubt she's mine, why don't you press charges and he'll go to prison and you can raise her yourself? And if she does end up being mine I will do everything I can to help you."
"Cops never go to prison Mr. Uley. I hate to separate a mother from her child but in a case like this it is best for the child. I'm the doctor on Renee's case, Dr. Carlisle Cullen; I'll be the one to fake the baby's death."
"What about Sam or the fact that she's possibly not mine?" I ask Alison again.
"Sam will understand one day. And there is a chance she is yours but either way you can save her." Alison says.
"If you don't take her someone else will. I've known you a long time Josh. I trust you. She could be yours and I hope she is yours. I don't want her to have any part of him." Renee looks at me with pleading eyes.
"Can't we just do a test?" I ask Dr. Cullen
"On a dead baby? No. Charlie has people that report back to him. I'm sorry Mr. Uley but if you really want to know if she is your daughter then you will have to take her and then do it on your own. Though that in itself has risks as the identification will have you as her father and it would odd for you to need a DNA test."
Alison had walked out while I was talking to the doctor and she comes back with the baby girl. She is very beautiful. A full head of dark hair and big eyes.
"Identification?" I ask him.
"Well yes you would have to change your name and name her and you would have a death certificate for her fake mother." Dr. Cullen states like he does this all the time.
Maybe he does do this all the time.
"Have you done this before?" I ask him suspiciously.
He hesitates and then says once, about 10 years ago.
"Josh, look at her. She deserves better than Charlie even if he is her father." Alison pleads with me holding her out to me.
I take her and think back to when Sam was born. She's smaller than he was I'm sure. She's tiny.
"Alison I can't just walk out on Sam and start a new life with a baby girl that might be my daughter." I tell her again. This is all too much.
"I could arrange for you to send letters and possibly a phone call once a week and maybe after we know that Charlie believes she is truly dead I can arrange occasional visitation." The doctor tells me.
The baby girl starts making this whimpering sounds so I rearrange her and she settles into my arms. She's perfect and beautiful and looking into her eyes I know that she does deserve better than a life of being scared and treated like crap. Whether she's mine or not she's just a sweet innocent little girl.
"How do we do this?" I ask the doctor looking at Renee. She smiles a sad smile, wipes a tear from her eye and whispers thank you.