Story Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Beta'd by the lovely TwiDi
A little bit shorter chapter, but thats because I needed to break up what is about to happen! Visual aids and two great story recs are on the blog dontrunffw blogspot com.
BPOV
Waking up came way too soon when Edward kissed me sweetly awake before rushing out to see his evil spawn—I mean sweet baby daughter. While I tried to go back to sleep, unfortunately I just couldn't. This left me with nothing to do except shower. So I made quick work of my deliciously sore body. If Jake could see me right now, he'd joke about me walking like a cowgirl who rode one too many hours. He'd be half right though. I did have one hell of a ride the night before. Especially knowing that I almost drew blood biting my lip to stop from screaming out during one of our sexcapades—a habit for not alerting Seth to the 'goings on' in my room.
Walking into the living room I have to grip onto the couch to keep from falling over Seth's backpack. 'Ding dang teenage boys leaving their stuff all over the place', I mentally mutter to myself before going for coffee—the lifeblood of my life. Pouring the water into the pot without making a mess is always a trick when I'm just not awake. Though thanks to having the filter already set up the night before, I was able to turn it on quickly afterwards. I can't help it. The water has to be fresh from the tap, but the grounds can rest in a filter overnight—silly I know but it's just me.
My inner coffee discussion is brought to a close as I sniff the aroma that is Folgers getting ready to go into my cup. I might be cheap by necessity, but I do splurge here and there on certain things. Name brand Pop-tarts and I have to have my Folgers, just like Charlie always drank. Sigh. Coffee for my Dad is the same as it is for me, the only way to get our motors running in the morning. Without it we are just mindless, cranky zombies. Getting my favorite Betty Boop coffee cup out, I wait like a greedy coffee hoe for the dark liquid to begin filling the pot. When the final drip splashes into the full pot, I pour my sweet nectar into my cup. Taking that big sniff that you just have to have before that first sip is a ritual that I can't help but indulge in.
MMMM… coffee.
Sip one was nirvana. Sip two, I can feel my brain starting to perk up. Sip three… blood starts flowing again. Sip four and I remember…
"Oh crap!" Downing my cup, I rush to the bedroom to throw on some clothing that isn't my favorite ratty sweatpants and t-shirt. I can't believe I forgot. Jacket on and keys in my pocket I rush to the car to pick up my brother from the Cullen's and try to pretend I didn't forget he was there to begin with.
~0~
"You forgot me." He pouts, but I can see laughter in his eyes as we drive back home.
"Did not," I protest. Lying. Though it did me no good because, I am just that sucky of a liar.
"Uh huh." He uses his most sarcastic voice after having escaped the Cullen household.
While I was there, Esme kept trying to feed us, Giant Cullen kept begging for just five more minutes with Seth playing a video game with him; and Seth started his little oh-woe-is-me-my-sissy-forgot-me spiel. All of which was in order to make me feel guilty, and to get something he wants—which I swear he learned from my Queenly bestie Jatina. I didn't really feel too sorry for him though, I was depressed enough that the house was sadly Edward-free. He had taken Faith out to the park for some Daddy-Daughter time. Plus, I remember a time when I was seven and at a sleepover that Dad forgot that I went to because he had been on duty the night before. Thankfully, Mrs. Daniels called our house and asked what time Dad was planning on picking me up, or I'd probably have spent at least another couple of hours stuck there.
"Alright, what do you want? You are so not fooling me," I inform him as we go into the apartment.
"What could lil' ole me ever want of my wonderful, gorgeous sister who is so benevolent and giving to all. I swear, Bella, if I could, I'd nominate you for sainthood." He gives me a cheeky grin, before plopping on our old sofa.
"Spill it, kiddo, and watch the sarcasm, I know where you sleep at night." I pick up a throw pillow and jokingly hit his shoulder with it. He laughingly takes the pillow from me, shoving it under him before getting a semi-serious face going.
"Ok. Halloween, Riley and I wanted to go to the dance at school since it's our last year before high school. You know, check out the cootie ridden chicks, maybe dance with one or two of them, and drink some nasty punch and all that comes with lame dances."
"Is that all, Sethy?" I ask.
"Yeah." He nods, looking at me from the corner of his eye.
"I don't have a problem with it. I mean, I guess you are a little old for trick or treating." I sigh. "So, if you want to ditch me and go hang out with the ubber cool eighth graders, I'm ok with it." A big gust of air exhales from his mouth and he turns looking half excited, and half disbelieving.
"For real?"
"Of course, kid. I mean, why not?"
"Well, because it's co-ed; and you know girls will be there, Bells." Ahhh, so this was about the dating rule.
"Seth, I wasn't allowed to date till I was sixteen and neither are you. That doesn't mean you can't go to school dances and dance with a girl. It just means that until you reach sixteen, no going out on dates. Dad was very firm on this rule, Seth, and I won't disrespect his memory by changing that. I will let you go to school functions, and as long as you promise not to sneak off and knock up some girl, when you get a little older, I'll let you go hang out with co-ed groups of friends outside of school and home. I'll put it to you like Dad put to me; I will trust you to do the right thing."
"I promise, Bells. For Dad and for you, I'll do the right thing." We share a hug before he gets tired of our sibling bonding and starts playing video games again.
I know someday he'll try and talk me out of the rule; he'll probably try and find ways around it. I also know, like me, he won't go against our Dad's wishes. We both know the old man loved us to distraction and his rules were there for a reason—to protect us. They might seem silly to some—or even outdated—but still they work for us. And that is all that matters
~0~
"Ugh!" I grumble into the warm male shoulder I was currently being pried off of.
"Baby, I gotta go," he tells me quietly, not wanting to wake up Seth. "Faith is gonna be up soon and I need to get there before it happens."
I roll back onto my pillow grumbling about boyfriends and being their booty calls. I know I'm not one, but still, it's way too early in the morning to think logically. Cullen slaps my bare ass then bites the offended cheek gently. Giving a sexy manly chuckle. Damn sexy boyfriend.
"Bella, you know I need to get back. I don't want Mom to feel obligated to take care of Faith because I didn't come back when I said I would. I'm her Dad, I might fucking suck at it, but still, I want to be as good a Dad to her as mine has been to me."
"You're a great Dad, Edward," I assure him. It's the baby I worry about.
"Thanks, baby. See you later, ok?" I burrow further into my comfy spot, my moment of lucidity long gone.
"Go, just let me sleep," I tell him without opening my eyes.
"Sleep, my beauty." He kisses my cheek—this time the one on my face. I give kissing motions to him, all the while falling back into my slumber. I can hear him laughing as he leaves the room.
~0~
My last night of waitressing, and my feet are shouting, 'Hallelujah, it's almost over'. Tony was so sweet, reminding me that if I ever need a job again, or just want to pick up some cash by working a night or two, I'm always welcome. He even went so far as giving me a book of free coupons to come back and eat on the house at the restaurant so I wouldn't be a stranger. The rest of the staff gave me a sweet 'sorry to see you go' card that made me smile and cry at the same time. It was so unexpected. After a lot of hugs—and a promise from Ang that we'd get together Monday for coffee after classes—I headed out the door for the last time as an employee. I don't think until now that I realized how much these people had come to mean to me, or how much I apparently meant to them.
Stepping outside into the cool October air, I remember to get my pepper spray out of my purse. Can't be too careful walking home at night alone. I probably should have driven but it wasn't raining and my cheap butt figured I'd save at least five bucks by hoofing it instead of driving.
"Need a ride?" My head jerks up from my search to see my sexy boyfriend leaning up against his new Dad-mobile, a.k.a. the only car he owns under forty grand that he doesn't mind puke and kids toys all over—his Audi A4 sedan.
"I don't know, my Dad always told me not to get into cars with strange men," I joke. His grin widens and he opens the passenger door for me. Sliding into the car, I notice Faith sleeping in her car seat in the back.
"She wouldn't sleep, and speed sooths her." He tells me as he slides into the driver seat.
"Like Father, like daughter?"
"Yep." He gives a quiet chuckle, taking my hand to his lips for a sweet kiss. "We better get going, I know a boy at your house that is about to burst."
"Huh?"
"Shhh, I can't spoil the surprise," he tells me with a lifted eyebrow.
"Then why bring it up to begin with?" I smack his arm.
"To get that adorable annoyed look on your face, that makes me want to forget my daughter is in the back of this f'ing car and drag you over here and pound the ever loving shi….taki out of you." Stuck between being turned on and laughing at Cullen's trying to cut the cussing down some, especially after Faith was heard a few days ago clearly having said 'fuck'.
Cullen held my hand as much as he could on the way to my apartment building, rubbing little circles and making me horny as heck. Faith was actually well-behaved on the ride, not growling at me even once—though she was asleep mostly the whole time, so that is probably the only reason why.
Pulling up in front of my apartment building, I was reluctant to move from my cozy seat and Cullen's warm hand on mine. But since I knew Seth was upstairs and wanting to surprise me with something, I Unbuckled my seat belt and started moving. I can't help but giggle at Cullen, trying to unhook the baby seat from the back, poor guy is always getting his fingers caught in it.
A chill crept slowly down my spine and my eyes jerked to the sound of a car driving by. A very familiar black sedan slowly passed by us. The dark windows in this dark of the night were making it impossible to see who was driving it. It was weird, but for some reason, I could feel anger rolling off that car—the car I've seen one too many times walking home at night. I couldn't help but take a moment and thank God for my new job. Hopefully, I'd never see that car again. It really was giving me the willies.
"Baby, you ready?" My clearly nonobservant boyfriend finally won his battle with the seatbelt and car seat to pull his demon spawn—I mean, sweet daughter—from the car.
"Yeah, let's go in," I agree, following him up the stairs.
"Bella!" Seth greets me, jumping up and down.
"Jake, have you been letting him over-indulge in chocolate again?" I ask my bestie—and soon to be former neighbor. I'm still depressed about him and Paul moving away from us.
"Like I'd share my truffles, Bella." He huffs. "Though, I think after his news, you might want to get him some of his own." A huge grin spreads across Jake's overly made up face. He's never gotten the whole 'less is more' with makeup thing.
"Ok, kid, give it to her," Cullen tells Seth, plopping down on the old sofa, setting Faith's seat, baby and all on the floor in front of him. Seth, getting the ok from his idol, rushes over to hand me a sheet of paper. Reading it over, I can't express how much pride and love I was feeling for my kick butt little brother.
"Really?" I ask him, still slightly in shock.
"I am the man, Bella, the math-man!" He does an awkward version of the running man and I mentally blame Paul for teaching him that silly dance, but grab him up in my arms for a big squishy hug.
"Congratulations, Seth Swan", I read aloud from the letter, "we are pleased to notify you that due to your recent test scores, you have achieved the status as Seattle's Top Scorer on the Washington State Mathematics Assessment Exam for grade eight. You have achieved a perfect score on eighth grade mathematics, as well as scoring an almost full grade on the Advanced Mathematics Experimental Section." I stop and look at my kid brother. "Oh, Seth, I am so proud of you! And Mom and Dad would be too." He squishes me back hard.
"You did good, kid." Edward claps him on the back.
"Thanks, Edward." Seth shyly accepts the praise from his idol, before Faith interrupts us all with a loud shout.
"Hey, baby girl, what's up?" Cullen, my sexy, sexy man, coos to the complaining little girl fighting to get out of her car seat. Hearing his voice, she reaches for him.
"Shit!" Rings out clear as a bell from her little mouth. "Goo Da." Follows the cuss word and it takes all I have not to laugh out loud.
"Cullen, I think you're too late with the whole watching your language thing," I tell him.
"Mom's gonna be pissed," he tells me. Esme was the one who Faith said 'fuck' to last week; and she wasn't impressed. "I'm a dead man."
Being ignored by her Daddy clearly wasn't cool with the little miss. So, throwing her pacifier in our direction, she screeches her two new favorite words, "Shit, fuck." In her sweet baby talk voice at us.
"Fuck is right, baby girl. As in 'fuck my life', when Gram hears the new word you've learned." She just giggles as he picks her up and bounces her on his hip. Rolling my eyes, I turn my attention back to Seth, a.k.a. the good child with a clean mouth.
"So, I'm thinking a special award like that deserves a special treat." I tap my forefinger to my chin, like I'm thinking hard. "Hmmm… whatever could my kid brother want as a reward for being a mathematical genius?"
"You know… there is this movie that is coming to theaters next week… that I kinda… wanna see." He plays back, tapping his finger too.
"So, kiddo, how about you and I, next Saturday, go out for dinner out and a movie?" I mentally ok it with myself, pulling a little bit out of our savings to spoil my smart baby brother.
"I'm down with that, sis." He does his best lame impression of being down with something and I laugh before hugging him again. The only thing that would have made this night better is if Dad and Sue were alive to congratulate Seth as well.
AN2: If you are worried about Faith and Bella's relationship you might want to read the To The Extreme future take from Seth's Pov that is on my story list under Beyond the Extreme, for those who don't want spoilers, trust me I'm all about the HEA.
About an update schedule, I'm trying for twice a month, don't hold me a 100% to that with the holidays coming up, but I am trying to get this out to you as quickly as I can.