OoOoOoO

I got woken up the next day by a very hyper three year old. "Daddy! Daddy!" Charlotte chanted bouncing on my bed, "Daddy! Uuup!" She gasped dropping down beside me.

I cracked open an eye, really wishing there was such thing as being able to sleep in with a kid in the house.

"Mawnin Daddy." Char greeted patting my cheek.

"Morning Munchkin." I replied sleepily throwing an arm around her small body and pulling her in.
"Ah! Daddy!" She giggled wriggling around trying to get away. "Off!" she pushed against my arms with probably all her strength when I attacked her sides.

"No fair!" She screamed tears streaming down her cheeks as she laughed.

I couldn't help but join in and only Max walking in made me stop.

"What are you doing?" She asked amused but trying to sound upset.

Char scrambled away from me still laughing hysterically and bound over to Max where she clung to her leg. "Daddy tickle me!" Char announced pointing at me accusingly and attempting a glare but it ended up more like she couldn't see properly.

"Well, that's just unfair isn't it?" Max shook her head copying Charlotte except she succeeded in the glaring.

"Yeah!" Charlotte agreed nodding, "Told you Daddy." She put her hands on her hips.

I smiled and held up my hands, "Alright, I won't do it again."

Char then grabbed Max's hand, "Max, bweakfast."

"Ok, why don't we get started on that while Daddy gets ready?" Max suggested and Char readily agreed.

Max's P.O.V.

"So what do you want for breakfast?" I asked Charlotte bouncing her about on my hip.

"umm…" Char tapped her finger against her chin, thinking about what she wanted. She gasped, "Scwambled eggs!" She chirped and I smiled.
"Alright, scrambled eggs it is." I placed her on her chair and started digging around for a pan and everything.

"Max?" Char asked confusion lacing her words.

"Yes baby?" I cracked open a few eggs and started beating them but stopped short when she spoke.
"Are you my new Mummy?"

I didn't move, I just stood there my mind reeling trying to figure out what to say to that.

"Uhm…" Yep that was all I had. I turned round and knelt beside her and took her hand "No honey, I'm not your new Mom." I said as gently as I could giving her a small smile at the end.
"Why?" she frowned hazel eyes swimming with confusion and disappointment.
"Because…" Gah! I couldn't do this. Charlotte carried on before I could come up with anything though.
"You wuv me and you wuv my Daddy and you wook after us. Dat's what Mummies do, dey wuv you and wook after you." She told me matter-of-factly like it was the simplest thing in the world.

"Char," I sighed, how could I explain that I wasn't her mom without upsetting her? How do I say I wasn't her mom after that explanation because it was pretty obvious that if I denied being her mom she'd associate that with me not loving her, and I did! I really truly did! "You need to understand," I whispered tucking some of her hair behind her ear.

Char was having none of it. She smacked my hand away clearly getting upset with my lack of answers. "No." She said before jumping off the chair and running out the room.
"Charlotte!" I called heading after her only to slam into a wall as I turned the corner.

"Woah!" Fang reached out to steady me and I blinked up at him, "You ok?" he asked and I nodded.
"Where'd Char go?" I breathed glancing up the stairs.
"What happened?" He enquired, "She looked really upset."

I sighed and closed my eyes, great now I had to tell Fang all about that humiliating scene, "She…She asked if I was her new mom." I told him.

This didn't seem to surprise him though, "And what did you say?"

"Nothing really," I shrugged, "That's just it, I didn't say anything."

Fang's P.O.V.

Max told me about what happened in the kitchen and I made the decision to not go in to work today, my boss wouldn't mind since I'd been in and out for the last week always being called to come home for Char then I set off to find my little girl.

I found Charlotte in my cupboard in a ball with tears streaming down her cheeks.

I sat down and leant against the door. I didn't say anything just sat there until she crawled into my lap.

"It's ok, baby." I soothed rubbing her back.

"Why Max not wuv me?" her bottom lip wobbled and more tears spilled.

I wiped them away and replied seriously, "Of course she loves you honey."

She shook her head vigorously, "Nuh-uh, she not my Mummy."

"Now you listen to me," I said sternly, "Just because Max isn't your mom doesn't mean she doesn't love you. She loves you so much and so do I, don't you ever think differently."

She concentrated on her hands in shame and I tucked a finger under her chin to get her look at me, "Why don't we go give Max a hug to cheer her up? She's very sad."

She swayed for a second before nodding, "Kay."

I picked her up and carried her out to find Max.

OoOoOoO

After apologising to Max Charlotte had refused to leave her for a second and clung to her like her life depended on it for the rest of the day only letting go when it was nap time. by that point though I knew something was bothering Max, she'd acted cheery around Char but she just wasn't as into it as usual. With Char comfortably asleep in my room I got the perfect opportunity to ask Max what was wrong.

She was staring at the TV not really seeing anything for a whole fifteen minutes before I decided to break the silence.

"What's bothering you?" I asked sitting beside her.

She blinked at the screen and frowned, "I'm leaving next week." She whispered, "I have to go back to New York."

"Oh." Was my amazing reply. I had completely forgotten that Max had a life besides Charlotte and I. I'd actually gotten so used to her being around that it was easy to forget that it would end soon.

Everything was whizzing around in my head from things like a Day care for Charlotte to wanting to know when Max would be back and I was so absorbed with trying to answer my own questions I almost didn't hear her when she spoke.

"She won't forgive me if I leave."

The sadness lacing Max's words felt like a bucket of water being thrown over my head and I felt the sudden need to reassure her, "Yes she will."

Max chuckled but it lacked the usual happiness, "No, she won't. Maybe if I was coming back sooner but…six months? No way." She shook her head to emphasize her point.

"Six months?" I asked only getting why she was so upset by it now. Six solid months before she could come back? I couldn't help but let my mind wander to what would happen to us. I mean, I wasn't exactly sure what we were at that point but by the sounds of there wouldn't be an 'us'. I shoved that away, I could deal with that later. Charlotte was my first priority now.

"This is such a mess." Max groaned burying her face in her hands.

I could only nod in agreement. What would happen when Max left? Charlotte had become so attached to her I knew for a fact that she would be heartbroken and I couldn't even assure her that Max would be back because, really, why would Max come back? For a three-year-old who would probably forget her in that time and someone she hated a week ago?

"We'll deal with this when it happens," I said finally, "Right now I feel like a cup of hot chocolate."

Max laughed and followed me out the living room. "Don't forget the marshmallows."

Yeah…lol, I forgot to thank you guys for so many reviews for chappie 8! Geeze over thirty! Cud I maybe have 24 this time? I hope this was ok, I just didn't have a cooking clue about what to do so I just sucked it out my thumb. It doesn't really help that I'm sick either so I apologise if its bad.

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