Disclaimer: I don't own anything except Sophia.
Charlie's Secret Past
(Bella's POV)
I sat impatiently on the sofa waiting for Charlie to get home from work. He had a lot of explaining to do. I felt the anger building up inside of me and a slight sadness- Edward had only returned to Forks to throw this…this Sophia at me, did he seriously think I would accept her as my… I didn't even want to say it.
I sank back into the sofa trying my best to calm down, but my mind was just overwhelmed with anxiety. I had to try and pull my self to together but a large part of me felt like falling to pieces. I clenched my hand on my growing belly feeling bitter towards the thing that was growing inside me. I was doing this for Jacob, I kept telling myself, but I don't know how long I could keep pretending in front of him. I really hope my maternal instincts would kick in soon. As I clung to my belly I pictured Edwards face as he saw my bump-the grief and hurt in his eyes. I made him speechless. After seeing his face I knew there would never me a Bella and Edward-he could never love me the same way again- I had been tarnished by Jacob, his worse enemy.
I squeezed my eyes tightly closed forcing the tears back, but no such luck, I felt them flow down my cheeks like and endless river. My eyes shot open instantly as I heard the front door open-Charlie was home. I sat up and wiped away my tears and forced a stern look.
"Bella, are you here?"
I heard Charlie shout from the hall. I kept quite, waiting for him to enter the room.
"Oh Bells there you are? Bella? Is there something wrong?"
I glanced up at him with disappointing eyes, and then opened my mouth to shout at him only to find the tears had come pouring back again.
"Please Charlie tell me it's not true…please…please"
The sobs came out stronger than ever, I didn't expect to be crying so hard. Surely this hadn't fazed me this much, but it wasn't until Charlie cradled me in his arms that I realised that I was crying about more than our new family member. I felt peculiarly safe in Charlie's arms and all I wanted to do was tell him that I didn't want to have this baby. That I wish I could have gone back and told Jake the truth, then maybe this wouldn't be happening.
"Bella, calm down. Tell me what's happened?"
I pulled away from him and looked right into his eyes as he sat down beside me. This I was a talk I'd never expected to have with Charlie but, here we were.
"I met someone today…at the hospital…a girl"
I let out a small sigh as I prepared myself and Charlie for what I was about to say next.
"She says that she's…that she's…she claims to be your daughter, dad"
I paused and looked at Charlie, waiting for some big shocked and out raged response, but I didn't get one. He lowered his head in shame.
"I wanted to tell you Bella I did."
"What? You knew? You knew you had a secret love child and you didn't tell me? Does mom know?"
I got up and started pacing the room stunned at what I was hearing. I definitely didn't prepare myself for this.
"Look Bells it was along time ago, it was just after your mother had left me. I was lonely and…well it's a long story."
"That's ok Charlie; I have all the time in the world-so why don't you explain to me when I stopped being an only child."
I knew my tone was harsh but I didn't care, he owed me a big explanation, and I wasn't going to back down till I got one. I sat back down next to him and kept my eyes firm on his.
"Ok. Well, it was about a month or so after Renee left and took you with her. It was the hardest time of my life being alone; I missed you so much and your mom, I'd go for long walks in the woods not to drive my self crazing missing you so much. I met Maria in the woods, not far from where they found you after Ed…well she was lost too. We got on so well and as it turned we were both just as lonely-her husband had just died and she came to forks to be as far away from his over bearing family as possible. We got one so well and grew very close to one another- she was here for at least 6 weeks…then she just left suddenly. I didn't know why until a week later when I got a letter from her telling me she was pregnant but she didn't know how to handle it so soon after her husband passed away, so she went back home to Brazil. I called and called her to beg her to let me be apart of our child's life-after loosing you I didn't wan to lose another child, I couldn't take it- but she never returned my calls."
I couldn't believe it, Charlie had this whole secret life that I knew nothing about, that Renee knew nothing about. I watched him carefully speechless as he got up, walked over to a cabinet and pulled out a photo album- from the bottom drawer- that I had never seem before. He placed the album on my lap, I brushed my finger across the name written on the front Sophia Maria Swan, and I opened up the album slowly. And there she was.
"Although she didn't return my calls, she sent me this album and over the years sent me pictures of Sophia so that I wouldn't miss anything. She sent pictures of her first steps, her first laugh, everything."
I saw a smile appear on his face as he was looking down at the pictures. I flicked through the album still speechless.
"I was going to tell you Bells, I was I swear."
I looked up at him suddenly mad again.
"When dad? When were you going to tell me, I mean you've known about this for 16 years and you've said nothing not one word. It's not like you haven't had plenty of chances."
"I know… I know there's no excuse. It's just…I didn't know how you would take it. And clearly not that well."
"I probably would have handled it better if I had heard it from you and not Edward or her."
He was now the angry one. The news of Edwards returned had clearly upset him.
"What? What's he doing back?"
"Tying up your loose ends clearly"
I snapped. I didn't want him turning this on Edward, no way. He wasn't off the hook yet. All these years I had a sister that I knew nothing about, if it hadn't been for the return of the love of my life I would still be completely oblivious. I snapped the album shout- I think I've seen enough to last me a life time- and handed it back to Charlie.
"How did he find out about her?"
"I don't know dad, it must have slipped my mind to ask after just discovering that you have a love child I was unaware of."
I stormed into the kitchen, trying to avoid a discussion about Edward and Sophia. The last thing I needed was the image of the two of them standing side by side fitting perfectly, both equally as beautiful as the other.
I heard Charlie's footsteps creep up behind me and then felt his hand on my shoulder.
"I'm so sorry Bella. I know this was hard for you to hear and I promise there will be no more secrets between us. You'll always be my little girl"
His words were comforting and I turned around and nestled into his chest. Normally moments like this with Charlie would be awkward but to day it was anything but.
"Bella…Can I…can I ask you something?"
"Yea"
I nodded still buried in his chest.
"What…what's she like?"
I pulled away from him stunned that he'd even ask me that. I wanted to lie, lie and say you had an ugly love child, but I couldn't. I looked up at him and the grief swallowed me up again.
"She overwhelmingly beautiful"
I spat bitterly then walked away.
A/N: so sorry for the long up date, was reading breaking dawn I no I'm a slow reader, lol, that and I really need to beg my folks to get me a laptop. Any way I really hope you like this chapter, thought I'd fill in the blanks about Charlie's little fling, hope it answers any questions you had. I'll try and update as soon as I can which I'm going to be honest may not be that soon as I'm moving to Glasgow to start college, yay, freedom. Any way please review and let me know what you think. Thanks for all the reviews so far, you guys are the best.
p.s sorry for the mega long a/n