A/N: Hi! Told ya I wouldn't take too long ;) With my husband's new work schedule, I have more time to myself and my now mobile son likes naps again (yay!)

And this chapter is not beta'd yet. So please excuse any mistakes (I'm sure there's a lot). I'll go back and clean it up later.

Make sure you check out the A/N at the end…

Chapter 11: Baby boy

Charles was just about to signal for his ticket when a certain brunette walked into the diner. Taking a deep breath, Charles folded down his newspaper and watched Bella hesitate at the doorway. At that moment, he didn't see Bella. He saw his daughter and her beautiful smile. The way she would capture the attention of everyone around her, how the sun followed wherever she went.

"Charlie?" He heard a voice from a distance but he eyes stayed on the girl. Only it wasn't Marie anymore… only Bella. Charles cleared his throat and acknowledged that Lillian was standing beside him, a fresh pot of coffee in her hand.

"Are you alright Charlie?" Lillian asked, her voice laced with concern.

"I'm good," he lied. Truthfully he was far from it. "I think I'm ready for my ticket."

Lillian placed a comforting hand on his shoulder and walked away.

Bella stood by the doorway, unable to decide how to approach him. Taking a good look at him, she could see just how many features they shared. If anyone didn't know any better, they could be related. If she only knew…

"Mr. Swan?" Bella timidly asked. "I'm Bella."

"I know who you are, please sit." She was stunned by his response and then felt silly for introducing herself. Of course he knew. Everyone in the town knew who she was. "But please, just call me Charlie."

Bella gave a nervous laugh and took a seat across from him. Charles took a sip of his coffee, hoping to gain a little more composure. This girl was going to break him and she didn't even realize it.

"Charlie," she name tasted strange on her tongue, yet familiar. "From what I've been told, I am now the owner of where you use to live. I found some things I think you might be interested-"

"No interest." Charles cut her off. "Anything left you're welcome to have or throw out."

Bella reached for her purse and took out Marie's diary. Placing it on the table, Bella slid it towards Charles.

Charles took a deep breath and recognized the journal immediately. He remembered Marie always carrying it around the house and writing in it. His frail hand shook and placed it on top of the journal, unsure if he should open it. If he did, the memories he tried to keep away would come rushing forward. But if he doesn't… he'll always wonder…

"There's more." Bella's voice broke him from his reverie. "A few days ago, I went to see Mary Alice. And she gave me this." In her hand was the picture of Marie and her newborn baby. Charles couldn't even speak, too afraid of what might happen. But he took the picture, hand still trembling, and covered his mouth with the other.

He remembered the day he sent Marie out east to Vermont, after she…

"Thank you." Was all Charles said.

"Mr. Swa- Charlie," Bella began. "Since moving here to Forks, I've been noticing how everyone looks at me. Like I'm some sort of ghost. When I found the journal, I understood it was mostly because of who I looked like." She knew better than to say her name, unsure of how Charles would react. "But I have so many questions and I'm not sure who to talk to. What happened? To the baby."

"Honey, this conversation is going to take something a lot stronger than coffee." He nodded to his empty cup.

"Of course," Bella stood up from her seat. "I apologize for intruding."

Before she could turn around to leave, Charles reached out for Bella's arm. Not wanting her to leave. Not now.

"Stay," The sadness in Charles eyes cut through her heart. "Please."

Bella sat back down slowly and watched Charles relax immediately, removing his hand from her arm.

"Marie wanted nothing more than to keep that baby." Bella couldn't almost believe Charles decided to talk about it. She was almost certain it would never happen. "But she was so young. Her mother had left us when she was such a young girl and with my job…"

Charles took a deep breath and closed his eyes. Remembering how Marie looked the day she came back home. Her once bright eyes dimmed and hollow.

"Marie was never the same again. I would send her to her grandparents, hoping the sun would do her some good. But she became even more withdrawn."

"So she had to give the baby away?" Bella asked, feeling a hint of anger rushing through her veins. "What happened to it?"

"She named him after my father." He remembered how Marie would whimper his name when she slept and holding her flat stomach. "The couple that adopted him were actually from around the area, visiting east knowing the school for unwed mothers were nearby. I never told Marie that, afraid she would go looking for him. When they realized who we were, they packed their bags and left."

Bella couldn't believe the torment Marie had to have been going through. Giving away her baby and for him to be living near her.

"That's horrible." Bella whispered, wiping away a tear that fell on her cheek. "Do you know where they went? Did you ever see him again?"

"I did actually, met him once years later." Charles remembered again, meeting a spitting image of Marie. "It was after Marie, after she-" He couldn't even say the words. Still too fresh. "He found his birth certificate taped behind an hold picture of him. When his last name didn't match the one he grew up with, he knew something was up. He confronted his parents and they told him the truth, where he came from."

"Did he know it was you?" Bella asked.

Charles sat back in his seat, tapping the table with his fingertips. "I think we both knew the moment he ran into me. He was, Marie would have been so proud of him. Had a family of his own and a successful business man. William was so much like his mother," Charles smiled. "He never realized it, but it was obvious how much of Marie he had in him. How he would twist his short hair in the back, just like Marie did when she was nervous or concentrating."

The moment Charles spoke the words, Bella could only think of her father. Remember how he would do the exact same thing, especially while painting.

"Does he still come around?" She asked, wanting to think of something other than her father.

Charlie frowned and shook his head. "He passed away a few years ago. Damn shame. Left behind a wife and daughter. I had tried to find them, but they had moved away not long after.

Something in the back of Bella's mind kept prickling, wanting her to remember something important. It couldn't possibly be.. she thought.

"Charlie, you said his name was William. What was his last name?" Her voice shook slightly as she asked. Charles looked at her curiously, wondering why she wanted to know. But he couldn't deny Bella of anything, just like with Marie.

"Landon. His name was William Landon."

A/N:

Do you see it? Huh?

No? Then you need to go back a few chapters…

The name written on the painting. Chapter 5.

…

I have a new story (yeah I know I know, I've been starting a lot of stories and not finishing them) but this one is considered my "therapy". More for me than anything. But go check it out and tell me what you think! I'm updating frequently there.

It's called Someday Soon, I Promise.

Goodnight ;)