AN: Connor is sweet, affectionate, loving, kind, honest, loyal, and brave, just like his dad. This and the following two parts of the future-take happens twelve years after Jake disappeared from Bella and Connor's life.

Deceit and Destiny Future-take Part 1

Connor

Although my love of baseball had been started by Pops, who was a diehard Mariners fan, Dad was the one who nurtured my interest further. One of his first gifts to me when I was five-years-old was his old baseball glove from back when he played in high school. It became a father-son activity, something we did together. He taught me to play catch, and I fell in love with the game. It sounds odd, but I fell in love with him, too.

The day I took Edward Cullen's surname and he became my dad was the best day of my life, and in the years between then and now, he had been there for me for everything. He was my dad in every single way that mattered.

When Edward—Dad—came into our lives, it didn't take long for him to become the dad I'd never had, and he seamlessly took my father's place. He showed me every day how much he loved me, and wasn't afraid to show me or tell me either. He made me feel wanted and special, never making me feel as if I was different.

~ oOo ~

With graduation only six weeks away, I'd already been offered a partial scholarship and a place at the University of Washington-Seattle, and had signed a letter of intent at the beginning of my junior year. Hannah, my girlfriend, had been accepted there, too, and we were hoping to spend the first year in dorms, then get an apartment together off-campus. I hadn't mentioned that to Mom and Dad yet.

Pops would absolutely love it if, eventually, I got picked up by his home team, but that was a long way in the future. I loved all sports, and in addition to baseball, I played football and basketball, too. It was baseball that became my favorite, and I'd played it for as long as I could remember, joining the Roughriders' varsity team when I started at Port Angeles High. I'd played in most positions, but settled in as a catcher, something that had developed while Dad taught me the game.

I blew out a long breath, suddenly nervous for today with so many friends and all my family watching me play the final game of the regular season.

I was startled out of my musing when warm arms slid around my waist. I turned, already knowing I'd find Hannah looking up at me with those big blue eyes. They were the first thing that attracted me to her, although her intelligence clinched it for me. We'd been together for three years now, and I didn't see that changing any time soon.

Standing on tiptoes because she was over a foot shorter than me, she kissed the underside of my jaw. I pulled her into my arms, bending over to capture her mouth with mine.

"Hi, beautiful," I murmured against her lips.

"Hi, babe. I missed you," she said as she drew back to look at me.

"You were over at mine only last night," I reminded her with a smile.

"I know, but we weren't alone together," she protested. "Your dad kept walking past the door."

I threw back my head and laughed at her pout. "You know they have the open door policy for a reason," I said. "Mom had me when she was seventeen, and she never made it to college, so she doesn't want the same to happen to us. And you know Dad agrees to almost anything she wants."

"They are really cute together, always hugging and kissing. They must love each other a lot."

"Yep, and they're not afraid to show it, and it used to embarrass me when I was growing up. Now, I see what they have; I want the same, and I think we have that already, so there's no need to rush into anything."

"Why do you always have to make sense?" Hannah sighed. "My parents certainly don't set a good example. I haven't seen Dad in six months, and Mom has a new boyfriend every month. He's always 'the one', too."

I shrugged. "You can't help who your parents are, Hannah, and your mom does love you. You know you're always welcome to share mine; they love you as much as I do."

Hannah stood on tiptoe again, winding her arms around my neck, the feel of her hands on me sending goosebumps skittering over my skin. It had been like that since the day we met in eighth grade when she moved to Port Angeles with her mom.

A sharp whistle took us out of our bubble, and Matt slapped me on the back.

"Aren't you supposed to be out on the field about now?" he boomed, sounding more like my Uncle Emmett every day. He was almost as big as him, too, played football, and had already accepted a scholarship offer from Texas.

"Hey, Matt." Hannah grinned at him, her arms still over my shoulders. "Where's Maria?"

Matt shrugged. "I've no idea; we broke up last night."

"Again?" Hannah asked. "What was it this time?"

"For good this time." Matt shrugged again. "I caught her with Alec. Anyway," he said, changing the subject, "how long before first pitch?"

"Just over a couple of hours," I said, checking the time. "Can you keep my wonderful girl company until Mom and Dad arrive?"

"I'd love to." Matt wiggled his eyebrows and held out his arm to Hannah. "Leave this poor sap behind and come away with me, beautiful," he crooned.

Hannah giggled, reaching up to me for another kiss and a hug. "I'll see you after the game, babe," she said, then took Matt's offered arm. The two of them disappeared in the direction of where the family would be seated later.

~ oOo ~

My eyes roamed over the bleachers surrounding Civic Field, as I did my individual preparations for the game with general warm-up stretching and short sprints, then more intense exercises.

The seats where my family almost always sat were filling up with family and friends, and I caught sight of Dad's hand as he raised it to me in greeting. Mom was sitting next to him, pulled into his side as always. He was affectionate, and he and Mom were never far apart when they were in the same place.

Dad had been a part of my family for so long, I'd almost forgotten about my biological father, though occasionally Grandpa Billy mentioned him.

From the day Edward stepped into my life, he'd given me his time, affection, and love. He brought with him, Aunt Rose, his sister, who was married to my Uncle Emmett, and Uncle James, Aunt Rose's brother, and his wife, Aunt Vicky, who still lived in New York, although they couldn't be here today. Then there was another set of grandparents, Nannie—whom I called Nan—and Gramps, Dad's parents.

I also now had three younger brothers and two younger sisters, who were sometimes a pain in the ass, but I loved them fiercely. Right from when Harley had been born, he'd never treated me differently to any of my siblings, loving us all equally.

Nana Renée was sitting in the front row with a space next to her for Pops, suggesting that he was helping Grandpa Billy. I had learned he hadn't approved of Mom and Dad in the beginning, and it had taken a while for him to come around, but they had kept him involved in my life, despite the absence of Jake. Grandpa Billy had been included in family get-togethers, and Mom and Dad had made sure to keep him up to date with my progress at school and sports.

Next to Nana was Nan, the two of them no doubt discussing their latest home design project. When Nan had retired completely from her job as an obstetrician, she and Nana had gone into business together, staging homes for the real estate market and designing home interiors.

Carmen, previously our nanny to the twins, both sets, when they were younger, was now our cook, and she and her husband, Eleazar, looked after the house and gardens. Carmen was sitting next to Nan, turned around and talking to Harley, while Eleazar was probably having an in-depth discussion of the game with Uncle Emmett.

When Carmen and Eleazar had become almost part of the family, Mom and Dad had converted the space over the garage into an apartment for the two of them, and they'd been with us ever since.

Spread out around Mom and Dad were my brothers, Luke, Gabe, and Oliver, and my sisters, Harley and Penny. After Oliver and Penny were born, the house was always in an uproar, with two sets of twins, although it did calm down a bit when Carmen and her husband joined the household.

Of course, we'd had to move after the younger twins came along because we needed an extra two bedrooms, but it proved to be difficult to find a place big enough for all of us. So, Mom and Dad decided to buy a piece of land and have one built. The new place had a pool and was within cycling distance of the rockpool beach, so sometimes when I was overwhelmed, I could escape to the relative peace and quiet of the beach.

Our house was loud and busy, but I loved it—well, most of it. I was grateful when Penny came along and Harley finally had a sister to play with, though Penny being old enough to join in was a bit later than Harley would've liked. Finally, I managed to escape being dragged into games that featured Barbie dolls and tea parties.

My eyes flicked over my brothers. As always, Luke had his head in a book; he always preferred to read instead of playing any sport, or even watching them, while Gabe and Oliver were arguing over something or other. They clashed more often than not, and I knew it would only be a matter of time until Mom stepped in and separated them.

My gaze turned to my sisters. Even I could admit that Harley was beautiful at twelve-years-old, clever and book-smart, but athletic, too. Up until she turned six-years-old, she'd been a Barbie girl, loving her dolls. Then, seemingly overnight, she was more into climbing trees and going fishing and hiking. I was often jealous when she muscled in on my time with Pops, but he explained to me she needed his time, too, and always tried to make sure he and I had special times just for us.

Nana and Pops had moved closer to us after Penny and Oliver were born, and between Dad, Pops, and me, we'd built a treehouse in the backyard of our new house. Harley, a tomboy at heart, had promptly fallen out of it, breaking her arm. After that, she wasn't allowed to climb up the ladder and spent the whole time sulking, telling everyone who would listen she could climb as easily with one arm as with two.

Penny and Oliver had been born early at thirty-three weeks, and had to stay in the NICU for two months before coming home to join us. Thank goodness Dad had been home. Penny had been so tiny, we might have lost her that day if it hadn't been for his expertise keeping her breathing until the ambulance arrived.

Penny was the one who looked the most like Dad, with his green eyes and hair coloring prompting her name. She was a tiny slip of a thing, the baby of the family and a real girly-girl, liking dressing up, dolls, and tea parties.

On a few occasions when none of our cousins were available, Dad and I found ourselves decked out in tiaras and feather boas drinking imaginary tea from tiny teacups and sitting around a tiny table in tiny chairs. Despite the fact it was embarrassing at the time, both of us would've done anything to make her happy—and still did.

I'd never been so grateful that Aunt Alice and Uncle Jasper moved back to Port Angeles after their daughter, Ava, was born. Aunt Alice took Penny under her wing, and she was now into clothes, makeup, and dressmaking, spending a lot of time with Aunt Alice.

Uncle Jasper was back at the hospital now, and Dad shared his time between his practice and consulting at the hospital.

The girls were sitting next to Dad, as always, and beside them were our cousins Sammie and Amelia, with Aunt Rose and Uncle Emmett. He was still in his uniform as he'd taken a couple of hours out of work to come to my game.

Behind Mom and Dad, Aunt Jess and Uncle Mike sat with their son, Mike Junior, or MJ as he was known. Seated next to them were Aunt Alice, Uncle Jasper, and Ava, then Aunt Angela and Uncle Ben with Sophie. Thomas, her brother, was on the same team as me, and probably already in the changing room. Matt's sister, Steph, and his parents were also nearby. It seemed as if our family and friends took up a lot of space and certainly cheered the loudest at every game.

We were definitely a large and loud bunch, but I loved every single one of them, and I appreciated their support at every game.

"Cullen," Coach Craven's voice cut through my musing. He lifted his chin. "Last game of the season, let's make sure it's a good one."

I nodded in agreement, heading out for pitching practice.

Even now, over ten years later, hearing someone call me Cullen sent a shot of pride through me.

~ oOo ~

"Great game, son," Dad greeted me, pulling me into a hug. "Well done. That was an awesome win!"

Dropping my duffel, I hugged him back. Right from my first game, he'd always met me outside the changing room, walking me back to the family while we discussed the finer points of the game. This one was bittersweet, as it was unlikely we'd do it again for a long while.

"Connor," Dad began, sounding serious. I looked at him quizzically. "Jake's here."

After a moment's shocked silence, I asked, "Here at the game? Does Mom know? Is she all right?"

"Yep, he was here, and of course she knows. She's fine with it, but more worried about you."

"I'm fine, Dad. What could he possibly want?"

"I have no idea, bud, and it's up to you whether you talk to him or not. I'll run interference if you'd rather not. You know I'll back you one-hundred percent."

I ran my fingers through my hair, tugging at it; a habit I'd picked up from Dad. "He's been gone for over ten years with nothing, no contact. Why now?"

"Well, there's only one way to find out, isn't there?" Dad shrugged. "Talk to him."

Sighing, I stuffed my hands into the pockets of my jeans as Dad picked up my duffel and started walking in the direction of the concession stands and the parking lot where Mom, Hannah, and the rest of the family would be waiting.

"What do you think I should do?"

"For what it's worth, I think you should hear him out. It's your chance to get some answers, and if you don't, you'll always wonder what he wanted."

"What about Mom? Do you think she'll be upset if I choose to see him?"

Dad shook his head. "Of course not, Connor. He is your—"

"He's not my dad," I interrupted. "He never was; you've always been everything a dad should be, and I love you for it."

"Thank you, bud." He slung his arm over my shoulder. "You know I love you, too, so let's go and find your mom, okay? Jake is staying with Billy for the moment, and if you want to see him, you get to decide when and where."

I nodded, and the two of us walked in silence past the concession stand and to the parking lot.

Some of our friends had gone home, mostly those with kids, but everyone else crowded round, slapping me on the back, hugging and congratulating me on the game and our win.

Dad dumped my duffel in the trunk of my car, waiting to one side with Mom and Hannah until everyone else had left. Three of the twins had voted to go with Emmett while, predictably, Penny had elected to go with Alice and Jasper. Everyone would be making their way to our home in a few hours for the usual post game get-together.

When the parking lot was almost empty apart from a few stray cars, Coach's truck, and Dad's BMW, I headed over to my car where Mom, Dad, and Hannah were waiting for me.

"Hey, Connor." Mom pushed off the car and stepped forward to envelop me in her arms, her familiar perfume a comforting scent, as always. "Are you doing okay?"

Being a foot taller than her, I leaned over and hugged her back. "I'm fine, Mom. Are you okay?"

"Of course I am. Have you decided what you want to do yet about Jake?"

As Mom stepped back, Dad moved to her side and wrapped his arms around her. "He's okay, sweetheart. Let's go home, shall we? Give Connor a little time to absorb things before he decides what he wants to do," he said.

Mom stood on tiptoe and kissed Dad. "Okay, my love. We'll see you two back at the house."

The two of them walked hand-in-hand to Dad's car and climbed in, waving as they drove out of the lot. I turned to Hannah, who was still leaning against the Volvo, waiting for me.

"Are you okay, babe? Your mom filled me in on what's happening."

I turned and leaned on the car beside her, crossing my arms, and nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine. Jake hasn't tried to contact me for over ten years, you know, so I guess I'm curious. Why now? Why did he stay away so long? Why didn't he want to be my—"

I stopped, unwilling to even put the name dad to someone who cared nothing for me.

Hannah slid closer to me, sliding her arm around my waist as I lifted my arm over her shoulder and pulled her into my side. "Come on," she said. "Let's follow your parents back to the house, or you can drop me at my place if you need privacy."

I shook my head. "No, come with me. I don't have any secrets from you, and I'm not hiding anything now."

Dropping a kiss on her forehead, I turned around, unlocked the car, and opened the door for her to get in, then walked around to climb into the driver's seat. I sat there for a moment before turning the key, then drove off in the same direction as my parents, my thoughts a whirl of memories.

Dad was everything my biological father, Jake, wasn't. Looking back, I recognized I'd yearned for a real father, like Matthew and my friends had, and it wasn't until Edward came on the scene and became a fixture in our lives that I realized Jake and I had never had much of a relationship.

I was five when he stepped out of our lives completely. I always felt a little guilty about how he found out about the baby, Harley, but both Mom and Dad had told me again and again that it was only a matter of time before Jake found out she was pregnant.

That day was firmly fixed into my memory. Mom always played it down, but I clearly remember Jake losing his temper and raising his hands to her. When he was gone, our lives became calmer, and I could honestly say I hadn't missed him since he'd been mentally and physically absent for as long as I could remember anyway. I found out afterward that he'd gone to prison because he punched Uncle Emmett.

It wasn't until I was fifteen that I became curious and asked questions. That was when Mom told me Jake was gay, and had hidden it from the whole family for years. Now, I was older and I understood his fear of coming out, but that didn't excuse his treatment of Mom and me.

I pulled into the driveway at the house and turned off the engine. Leaning back against the seat, I closed my eyes.

"Are you sure you're okay, Connor? You're really quiet." Hannah's voice broke through the silence in the car.

I rolled my head to face her and opened my eyes. "I'm fine, baby, just thinking. Come on, let's go inside."

Climbing out of the car, I made my way around to the passenger side, opened the door, and held my hand out to her. Another one of Dad's habits I'd picked up, along with his traits of loyalty, honesty, and affection.

I realized, with a sense of warmth, that we were definitely father and son, no matter what our DNA said.

Grabbing my bag from the trunk, we headed, hand-in-hand and in comfortable silence, around the house to the side door.

Hannah preceded me, and I dumped my duffel bag in the mudroom. Out of habit, I emptied it, throwing my uniform in the hamper before we stepped into the kitchen. Mom and Dad were already sitting at the island with cups in front of them. After grabbing two bottles of water, Hannah and I took the seats at the other side of the island.

Slugging back half the bottle, I placed it on the counter in front of me. "Half of me wants to tell him to get lost, but then there's another part of me that wants answers," I blurted out. "I do want to talk to him, as long as it doesn't upset either of you."

I looked from Dad to Mom, who reached over and took my hand, squeezing it for a second. "This is about you, Connor," she urged. "Your dad and I have come to terms with what happened long ago, and we're absolutely fine with whatever choice you make."

With the decision to talk to Jake made, a weight lifted off me, and I could think more clearly about where we could meet, and more importantly, what I wanted to say and ask, though that might change later.

Instinctively, I didn't want him anywhere near my family, so immediately that meant our house and Nana and Pops' place were out. Even Grandpa Billy's wasn't a good option, that being Jake's home turf, so to speak.

As if he could read my mind, Dad said, "Your mom and I have talked about it, and if it's what you want, we're okay with him coming to the house."

I shifted in my seat, putting my elbows on the counter top and resting my chin on one hand. "It sounds stupid, I know, but I don't feel comfortable bringing him into our home. I'm not sure what we have to talk about, or how I'll feel about it, so maybe somewhere neutral would be better?"

"How about the park down the street from where we used to live?" Mom suggested. "You used to go there with him. It's a neutral location."

I leaned back in my seat and answered, "That's a good idea, Mom. Okay, let's do this. How do I get in touch with him?"

"I don't have a number for him, but call Billy; he'll know," Mom answered. "Are you thinking today? There's plenty of time before everyone starts arriving for the barbecue."

"No sense in wasting time," I said. "I want to do it now so I can enjoy the last few weeks of school." I smiled over at Hannah, grabbing her hand and kissing the backs of her fingers. "And spend the summer with my girl before the real work starts."

Hannah returned my smile with a smirk.

"No problem, bud. Just remember, if you need anything at all, let us know." Dad got up, placing a kiss on Mom's upturned lips, then patted me on the shoulder. "I'm going to set up the grill for later, okay?"

I nodded, then stood and leaned down to kiss Hannah. "I'll be back in a minute, sweetheart."

Leaving the two of them to finish their drinks and chat, I made my way outside to the deck with Dad to make arrangements to speak with my father.

~ oOo ~