Being Careful (Charlie)

When Charlie picks Bella up from the Blacks' house she's white as a sheet. Even more so than usual.

He asks her how her day was; she stares at her hands.

He asks her if she did anything fun; she bites her lip.

He asks her what she wants for dinner; she fidgets with her pigtails.

By the time the cruiser is parked in the driveway, Charlie has gotten very nervous. He's become more confident in his parenting, but moments where something is clearly Wrong still scare the shit out of him. His high-strung little girl is his whole life.

Bella wants to be carried into the house, and she keeps sneaking her thumb into her mouth. Charlie pulls off her shoes and her backpack, takes her into the living room, sets her down on his armchair and crouches in front of her. "Okay, Bella," he says seriously. He keeps his voice nice and calm so hopefully she can't tell he's terrified that she's caught meningitis or is having a nervous breakdown or something. "What's wrong?"

Bella's face crumples. "Daddy!" she sobs, and she launches herself forward into Charlie's arms and clings desperately to his neck.

Oh, dear Christ, she is having a nervous breakdown. "What are you sorry for, kiddo?" Charlie says, rubbing her little back. His face is an identical shade of white as his daughter's.

"I wasn' careful with Jake," she manages to say through huge, wet hiccups, "and now I'm gonna have a baby!"

Charlie's mouth drops open. "You... what?"

It takes several minutes of hugging and coaxing and yes, a few jelly beans before Bella is calm enough to explain. "Me an' Jake were playing, an' I wasn' careful an' I stepped on his mud pie an' broke it." Huge tears run down her cheeks as she wails, "It was only by accident!"

"I'm sure it was," Charlie says as he strokes her hair. "Um... was he upset?"

"Nuh-uh. He just made a new one." Bella wipes her snot on her sleeve. "But Rach'an'Beck said since I spend time with Jake and then wasn' careful we made a baby and I asked Leah and she said she doesn' know about being careful but we were playing outside and playing outside makes babies and Rach'an'Beck said Jake's gonna marry me and he's suppos'd to get the ice cream an' Leah said I might get some pennies an' I like ice cream an' I like pennies an' I like Jake but Daddy I don' wanna have a baby!"

Charlie has never been more confused in his life.