While You Loved Me
Author's Note: I had planned to have this one out yesterday but my 10 year old borrowed my laptop and exited out of my word document without saving. Grrr. It's all right though, she didn't know. Well here it is, folks, the meeting with Bella's parents in Atlanta.
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I just like playing with the characters. I'd love to own Emmett though, even if it's just to be my cuter older brother bear. (Carlisle AKA Peter Facinelli will always be my baby though :P)
Chapter 13
Junior's POV (Who we now know is Emmett)
The entire week after Bella and Emmett eloped, they were inseparable. Like most newlywed couples they spent a lot of time in bed but the closer the weekend came, the more restless Bella became. She feared how her parents would react to the news that they were going to be bringing to them when they got to Atlanta on Friday.
Bella had a nervous habit of cleaning when she got anxious or nervous. The entire house was spotless to the point where you could eat off of the floor if you wanted to, and this began to bother Emmett tremendously. He called Bella on her obsessive cleaning on the evening before they were set to leave for Atlanta as they sat down for dinner.
"Bells, baby. Don't stress too much, it's not good for you or our little one." He said coming up behind her as she finished cooking. He placed a band on her stomach when he mentioned the baby.
"I know it's crazy to worry, Em, but I am afraid that they are going to flip out and disown me and their future grandchild." Bella sniffled. Crying was another thing she had picked up since finding out she was pregnant, hormones the doctor said.
"Baby, look at me." Emmett replied, turning her so that he could look in her eyes. "Whatever happens, happens. I will be there for you and our child every step of the way and if they react badly then that's their loss. In the end, it's about you, me and our little miracle that you are carrying." He said kissing her lightly on the lips and she nodded with a small smile.
"I love you so much, Emmett McCarty. You always know the right thing to say." She said.
"I love you more, Bella McCarty. You make me the happiest man in the world and I don't ever want to see you cry." Emmett replied, wiping the tears from her face.
Bella went back to finishing dinner as Emmett set the table. They sat down to eat and when they were finished they headed upstairs to finished the last minute packing they needed to do for their trip to Atlanta. At the end of the night, they slept peacefully in each other's arms…the stress of what was to come tomorrow, the furthest thing from their minds.
It didn't take long to drive from Calhoun to Atlanta, being that Georgia bordered Tennessee. When they pulled into the large circular driveway that sat in front of Swan Manor, Bella tensed a bit at what was about to happen. Emmett helped her out of the car and kissed her hand.
"Whatever happens, remember I am here every step of the way my love." He said and they walked up to the door and rang the bell.
A man of about 30 answered the door, he was about 6 feet tall with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. Bella smiled at the man and the man smiled back before pulling her in for a hug.
"Miss Izzy, it is so good to see you darlin'." The man said with a big grin. Emmett looked at the two and raised an eyebrow.
"I'm sorry, honey. Emmett, this is my parents' butler and one of my very best friends Peter. Peter, this is my husband Emmett McCarty." Bella said with a bright smile and Peter gasped.
"I was unaware that you were…"Peter began before Bella place her small hand over his mouth to shush him.
"That's why we are here, my parents don't know yet." Bella whispered.
"You're secrets safe with me, darlin'. He seems like a fine man to have tied down my Izzy." Peter whispered back before going into butler mode. "Come in, your parents are in the parlor. Can I get you two anything?" he asked.
"Just a glass of water would be great, Peter, thanks." Bella said with a smile and Peter called for Charlotte, his wife and Bella's parents' maid.
"Hi, Izzy!" Charlotte said, giving Bella a hug. Charlotte was a short woman, around 25, who had long platinum blonde hair and the brightest blue eyes of anyone Bella had ever met before.
"Hey Char." Bella beamed. "Char, this is Emmett McCarty. Em, this is another of my parents' staff and one of my best friends, Charlotte."
"It's nice to meet you, Emmett. I heard so much about you when I first started working here 4 years ago." Charlotte said and Emmett smiled at her but raised an eyebrow at Bella, who giggled.
"Char started the summer we met, honey." Bella said with a grin and Emmett nodded.
"It's a pleasure to meet you both." Emmett said with a dimpled grin.
"Char, we will be in the parlor with my parents when you get that water ready. Take your time though, there's no rush doll." Bella said over her shoulder as she grabbed Emmett's hand firmly and headed toward the parlor.
When they got there, Bella's mother and father were sitting on opposite sides of the fireplace reading. Bella cleared her throat and both looked up and smiled.
"Bella, honey, what a pleasant surprise." Charlie said standing up and pulling Bella into a hug. Bella was always closer to her father than she was her mother.
"Hey Daddy!" Bella said beaming up at him.
"Emmett, son, how have you been?" Charlie asked, sticking out his hand to shake Emmett's.
"Just fine, sir." Emmett said as he firmly shook Charlie's hand.
"Hello Mother." Bella said as her mother pulled her in for a hug.
"Hi Isabella, Emmett." Renee said pulling both of them into a hug.
Bella was glad that the greetings went well as she and Emmett went to sit on the love seat together, opposite her parents. When Bella broke off her engagement to Edward, Renee was not all that surprised. Deep down Renee knew that the love she had for Emmett would only grow with every passing day they spent apart and the same went for Emmett. Charlie, though he liked Edward, never had a problem with Emmett and only wanted his baby girl to be happy.
"Isabella, darling? Not that it isn't great to see the two of you, but what brings you all this way from Calhoun?" Renee asked.
"Well mother, we actually came to tell you something and we figured it would be better to do so in person rather than over the phone or by post." Bella said.
"Mr. Swan, sir, before we tell you I just wanted to let you know that I am truly sorry for not coming to you and Mrs. Swan first but I just couldn't wait any longer." Emmett said and both Charlie and Renee nodded, thoroughly confused as to what was going on.
"So, what's going on kids? Are you going to make us guess?" Charlie asked with a chuckle.
"Daddy, last Friday Emmett asked me to marry him." Bella said and Charlie smiled.
"I kind of saw that coming, and you both know you have my blessing." He said.
"Daddy, um…Mother…we went to Pastor Carlisle last Saturday and his wife, Esme, stood witness for us." Bella said putting her head down. It was silent for a minute before Renee's laughter filled the room.
"I saw THAT coming more so that you two waiting for a big ceremony to get married." Renee said between fits of giggles "You have that much of me in you, Isabella." She added and Bella smiled at her mother. After her conversation with her about the man before her father, she came to realize that her mother used to be just as free spirited as she was. Bella got her temper and resolve from her father, who was normally a calm and level-headed man unless passionate about something.
"Bella, honey, you seem happy. You are absolutely glowing." Charlie said with a smile.
"My question is, darling, why so soon?" Renee asked.
"Um…that's the other thing we wanted to tell you…Um…"Bella stammered and it was Charlie's turn to chuckle.
"The glow…I knew I recognized that glow." Charlie said "It was the same glow your mother had when she told me about you."
"Isabella, is it true?" Renee asked, raising an inquiring eyebrow at Bella. Bella nodded and put her head down.
"Bella, honey, a baby is nothing to be ashamed of. I mean, yes, things may seem out of order to most but to the outside world we can always say that you found out after you were already married." Charlie said, ever the level-headed one. "I am not going to say that I am pleased that you two were partaking in intercourse outside of the sanctities of marriage but I cannot say anything because that would be like the pot calling the kettle black."
"What do you mean, daddy?" Bella asked.
"Well your mother has already told you about James, I assume?" Charlie asked and Bella nodded. "Before I got any further just let me tell you that I love your mother and you very much. I would not change anything about my life after meeting your mother. I, too, had a love before your mother. She was a beautiful native American woman by the name of Sue Clearwater that worked for my father once upon a time. For a long time we were inseparable, and even had plans to run off together one day. Like your mother's parents, mine were not happy about the idea. After Sue and I expressed our love for one another physically, my father fired her and shipped her back to the reservation. I have not heard from her since, though I've heard she's happy now with a family of her own."
"I never knew that, Daddy." Bella said.
"We all have our first loves, honey, and we all make our mistakes but it's the mistakes that sometimes make the miracles." Charlie said with a smile.
The rest of the day with Bella's family was spent catching up on everything that had been going on in their lives since the last time they had seen each other. At the end of the weekend, Bella and Emmett were relieved that not only did they have the blessing of her parents but also that they were thrilled to be becoming grandparents soon.
Author's Note: I know, not exactly what you were expecting up that's how it played out in my head. I always pictured Charlie only going along with what happened between Bella and Emmett in the past because Renee was so against their relationship. Now we all know WHY Charlie wasn't against it. (Like we found out a few chapters ago the reason why Renee was so against their relationship to begin with.) Let me know what you think. I need to update my other story tomorrow, hopefully I can squeeze in another chapter soon.