Ricochet
Disclaimer: all characters and copyright belong to SM.
Chapter Fourteen
Bella tried to put her worries aside about CJ's sudden ability to move around stealthily without being heard, as well as his increased appetite. After sharing her initial concerns, Jacob had dismissed the possibility that their young son was his on his way to joining the pack's ranks.
"He's not ill, Bells. He has no fever."
"I forgot about that." Bella felt slightly relieved, but it didn't assuage her anxiety completely.
"Anyway, I'd think I'd know." Jacob put his warm hands on her shoulders and made her look up at him. "Nothing is going to happen to CJ, I promise."
"Okay." Bella decided to take his lead on this issue. "I mean, he is our son, he was bound to have special talents, right?"
"Right." Jacob agreed, his face relaxing into a broad smile. He let go of her shoulders and dropped his hands back to his sides. Bella immediately lamented the loss of his warmth. "We better watch him when Christmas rolls around, though."
"Why?"
"We're going to have difficulty wrapping presents in secret if he can creep up on us like that without even me hearing him." Jacob joked.
Us… Jacob had used the word us. Like they were already a little family unit or something.
Bella's heart fluttered at the quaint little heart-warming family scene he painted. It made her maudlin, realising how much they had all missed out on because of her stupid decisions. They had all been denied those precious family moments that could never be gotten back and it was all her fault.
Christmas at the Cullens had been mountains of expensively wrapped presents under a towering artificial tree. Every year Alice outdid herself with the gaudy decorations and outlandish Christmas games. It was an event no one in the coven really enjoyed, it was all so cold and artificial. It was something to be endured, rather then enjoyed. The true Christmas was Bella and CJ alone in their little cottage, sitting in front of an open hearth, watching old Christmas movies and eating homemade mince pies.
"Earth to Bella." Jacob said, waving his hand in front of her face to attract her attention.
"Huh?" Bella startled out of her memories, her eyes wide and confused.
"Where did you go?" Jacob asked. "You looked kinda sad."
"I'm sorry." Bella apologised with a small smile. "Its just when you mentioned Christmas…."
Jacob sighed, immediately misunderstanding. "It was a joke, Bella. You don't need to make it into a big deal."
"I'm not." Bella insisted. "It's just I'm thinking this will be the first real family Christmas that CJ will get to experience, and it makes me sad that I denied him that all these years because of my cowardice."
Jacob's expression softened. "Hey, I thought we weren't going down that road."
"Jake, why aren't you more mad at me?" Bella demanded, her guilt bubbling to the surface again. "Yell at me. Curse. I deserve it."
"And what will that achieve exactly?" Jacob pointed out reasonably. "The time for regrets is long over. I want to concentrate on the future, not the past. I don't want to waste time holding onto anger, Bella. Its fucking exhausting. I just want to be happy. Don't you?"
Bella's long lashes became wet with tears. "I do."
"Then we start again with a clean slate. No playing the blame game, right?"
"Right." Bella could feel the usual anxiety in her chest waiting to take over, it was an old form of protection, but Jacob's words provided a comforting cleanse. She slowly felt herself relax enough to smile. "You're still my sun, Jake." She whispered.
"Sure, sure." Jacob agreed. "C'mere, idiot." He took one stride toward her and lifted her up into a vice-tight bear hug. Oh, how she had missed those hugs! "Its going to be okay, Bella." He said close to her ear. "I promise."
Deciding to put off the Edward problem for another couple of days so they could concentrate all their attention on CJ, Bella and Jacob tried to think outside the box and do something they had never done together before. Something which could easily involve CJ. Forks didn't present much in the way of entertainment for young kids, so they decided to drive to Port Angeles and just wing it.
CJ didn't care where they were going. He was just thrilled to be spending more time with his new best friend. He was even more thrilled that his mommy was coming along for the ride. He couldn't remember seeing her smile so much. She was even laughing a lot more. And because his mommy was happy, this made CJ happy as well.
They ended up going bowling. Bella had been bowling many times when she used to live in Phoenix, but that seemed like a lifetime ago. She had always hung out with those who sucked just as bad as she did at the game, hence, couldn't make fun of her without making fun of themselves.
With Jake, Bella knew that she was going to be at a huge disadvantage anyway, with his supernatural agility he was bound to be perfect at the game. But still, with CJ as witness, she so wanted to impress her little boy. So, she made more of an effort to play well than she had ever done in the past. And much to her surprise, she wasn't as bad as she remembered. In fact, when she had thrown twice as many strikes as Jacob, she became more enthusiastic and that brought out her competitive streak.
"I really thought you would master this game, Jake." Bella crowed when his bowling ball rolled into the gutter yet again.
"I'm just warming up." Jacob muttered irritably.
Bella was getting a kick out of beating him. Perhaps there was one thing she could do better than him. When she bowled and got another strike, she did a little war dance, whooping loudly and pumping her fist in the air. CJ copied her, yelling loudly and pumping his own little fist in the air in delight.
Of course, Jacob being Jacob, couldn't be beaten. Not with his son watching. He paid for more games, determined to beat Bella. Thankfully it was cheap, because he was not winning and it was making him more frustrated. "How are you doing this, Bella?" He demanded. "Do you have some kind of superpower?"
"Ha!" Bella laughed as she bumped her fist with CJ's. "Maybe I've been hiding it all this time."
"Super Mommy!" CJ chirped loudly. He began making aeroplane noises and stretched his arms out mimicking wings. He zoomed in a circle around them both.
"You wait until we get home and I tell Charlie and Rosalie that I beat you six times." Bella boasted. "At a sport no less!"
Jacob threw her a mock glare. "One more game?" He challenged.
"No way." Bella shook her head. "I'm quitting while I'm ahead."
"Play again, Mommy. Please, please, please?" CJ begged. He was loving this new carefree Mommy with the happy smile and bubbly laughter. He gave her the benefit of his best puppy dog eyes and knew he'd won when she quickly relented.
"Okay, just one more."
Jacob shelled out for another game. He took a long time choosing a ball, picking one up and then abandoning it when he felt the weight wasn't right.
Bella found his antics highly amusing. She sat on the side lines with CJ perched on her lap, teasing loudly. "Its so weird how good I am at this. I mean I'm normally so clumsy…. I have no sense of balance…. I'm so much smaller and scrawnier than you…."
"I know what you're trying to do, Bells." Jacob growled. "Stop trying to distract me."
"As if I would?" Bella faked hurt.
"You would." Jacob said with certainty. He approached the lane, his chosen ball poised carefully in front of him as he got ready to throw.
"Its lucky the pack aren't here. Can you imagine what Quil and Embry would say?"
The bowling ball wobbled in Jacob's grip at her words. He threw it more awkwardly than normal. It hit the deck and quickly rolled off his chosen course. His only consolation was that at least it hit a few pins this time instead of just rolling in the gutter.
"Oh dear." Bella said with wide eyed innocence. "Better luck next time. I just don't think you have the magic touch. What do you think, CJ?"
CJ was a quivering bundle of excitement. He was revelling in all the attention. "You best, Mommy." He said loyally.
"Is that so?" Jacob said archly as he plucked the little boy off of Bella's lap and began tickling him.
CJ squirmed as Jacob continued to tickle his sides, a sweet grin spreading from within and expanding upon his face. He laughed hysterically, attracting the attention of the other patrons. His breathless squeals and happy laughter drew smiles from the onlookers at the distinctly heart-warming scene.
"I never thought that you would suck so much at bowling, Jake." Bella said for the umpteenth time as they enjoyed burgers and fries. CJ sat between them on a bench outside the bowling alley, contentedly chewing on a cheeseburger. Occasionally he stopped to slurp some of his strawberry milkshake up through a straw.
"I was just going easy on you, that's all." Jacob's eyes danced with mirth. Like Bella was getting a kick out of beating him, he was getting a kick out of seeing her enjoy it.
"I mean I'm terrible at everything. I've failed every sport I've ever tried. But this? Wow. I was so sure I was going to fall on my ass."
"What does ass mean, Mommy?" CJ piped up suddenly.
Bella's face reddened in embarrassment as she struggled to explain. Trust CJ to focus on that one word in her sentence. "Um….it just means….um…. uh…."
Jacob grinned; he had missed her blushes. He decided to help her out. "What your mom is trying to say is she's glad she didn't fall on her backside."
"Oh." CJ sucked harder on his straw, quickly losing interest.
Surprisingly Charlie wasn't sprawled out in his recliner watching a sports show like Bella expected him to be when they got home. "Dad?" She called up the stairs.
Jacob was busy entertaining CJ with stories about his past childhood exploits with Quil and Embry.
Bella wished he would tone them down a little. If he wasn't careful there was a good chance that CJ would try and copy some of their more mischievous escapades. "Dad?" She called up the stairs again. "We're back. Do you want me to make you some dinner? We've already eaten."
"Not for me, Bells." Charlie appeared at the top of the stairs. He'd just stepped out of the bathroom. To Bella's surprise he was all spruced up. He had on his best shirt, not one of the flannel ones he usually wore, but a white button-down shirt teamed with his best jeans.
Bella's mouth popped open in surprise. "Are you going out somewhere?"
Charlie looked a bit irritated that she seemed surprised that he was venturing out somewhere other than work or fishing. "Yes. I'm going to catch a film."
"Catch a film?" Bella repeated slowly. "On your own?"
"Of course not." Charlie sad testily. He reached the bottom of the stairs and hunted for his smart jacket. "I'm not that sad."
"Then with who?" Bella felt completely bewildered by the whole thing.
"Rose invited me." Charlie revealed as he finally found his jacket and shrugged it on.
"Rosalie invited you?"
"Jeez, is there an echo in here?" Charlie grouched. "Yes, she did. She thought it would be a good idea if you and Jacob had the house to yourselves for tonight, so you can talk in private when you've settled CJ into bed. We'll be seeing a double feature so I won't be back until late."
They were interrupted by a light tap on the front door. Charlie walked past Bella to open it. On the other side stood Rosalie. The statuesque blonde was as stunning as always, even dressed in a simple pair of skinny jeans and white wool sweater; she was breath taking. A stylish black leather jacket completed her ensemble.
"Hello, Bella." Rosalie greeted her casually. "Did Charlie tell you about our plans for tonight?"
"Just now." Bella regarded Rosalie cautiously.
"And how did things go with Jacob and CJ?" Rosalie asked.
"Better than I could have hoped for." Bella confessed.
"That's good to hear. Well, with us out of the way, you'll have a chance to build on all that." Rosalie patted Bella on the shoulder, before turning the full force of her gaze onto Charlie. "Looking good there, Mr Swan." She teased lightly. "Is that a new shirt?"
Charlie flushed slightly. "This old thing…." He said awkwardly, brushing her compliment aside. "You look very nice." He mumbled.
"Why, thank you." Rosalie laughed. She glanced back at Bella. "I promise I'll have him back before midnight." She continued in the same teasing tone.
"I'll um…. just go and check in with CJ before we leave." Charlie's cheeks were still flaming as he headed to the front room.
"Don't charm him too much, Rose." Bella warned when he was out of earshot.
Rosalie's good humour faded. "That is not what I am doing." She said seriously. "Charlie is a good man."
"Yes, he is." Bella said pointedly. "Have you heard from Emmet?"
Rosalie lowered her eyes, her gaze turning bleak. "He thinks what I did was unforgiveable."
"You need to speak to him. Have a proper talk like Jake and I are doing."
"It only works if both parties are willing, Bella." Rosalie said quietly.
"He'll come around." Bella persisted. "Emmet loves you."
Charlie's reappearance put an end to their conversation. He held the door open for Rosalie like a gentleman so she could go on out ahead of him. She thanked him, her smile more subdued than before, all former playfulness missing.
"I'll see you later, kiddo." Charlie said as Bella waved them off. "It warms my heart that you and Jake are making such good progress. It'll make things much easier when you tell CJ the truth."
"Thanks, Dad." Bella hugged him in a rare show of affection. "Enjoy yourself."
"I will." Charlie hugged her back, before following Rosalie outside.
A/N-thanks for reading!