Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight.
The Replacement (2015)
"Brooklyn! Can you come down here for a second?" Callie called up the stairs.
"Coming!" her sweet voice called back, the sound of small feet pounding across the floor echoing throughout the house.
As Callie turned around and began walking into the living room; she couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She was not looking forward to this conversation; she had no idea how Brooklyn would react to the news. Callie gave Embry a weary look as she took her seat next to him. He gave her a reassuring smile and wrapped an arm around her shoulders, squeezing it gently.
They were going to tell Brooklyn that Callie was pregnant; and both Callie and Embry didn't know how she would react.
They had been putting off telling Brooklyn, knowing that they needed to do it in a delicate manner. So, the happy couple had waited a few weeks, only to find that they couldn't find "the best" way to break it to their daughter. However, now they knew they couldn't wait any longer, Callie was going to be showing any day now, and they didn't want Brooklyn to find out that way.
Callie was drawn from her thoughts by the sound of footsteps entering the living room. She looked up to find Brooklyn standing in front of the couple, a confused expression on her youthful face. Callie glanced at Embry, gently pulling herself away from his arms and scooting over on the couch; leaving just enough room for Brooklyn to sit comfortably between her parents.
"What did you need?" Brooklyn inquired, glancing between her parents.
"We need to talk to you about something," Embry told her, motioning for her to take a seat in the empty space that Callie had created.
Brooklyn looked at the two in a calculating manner before hesitantly taking the offered seat.
"What do you need to talk to me about?" she asked softly, her eyes wide.
Callie and Embry's eyes met over their daughter's head, Callie silently urging for him to explain it to the child. Embry took a deep breath and broke eye contact with his wife, turning his attention to his daughter.
"Your mother and I wanted to talk to you about someone who is going to be added to our family."
Brooklyn furrowed her eyebrows, "You mean Uncle Seth finally asked Aunt Demi to marry him?"
Embry shook his head, "I meant that there is going to be a new addition to our family; family, as in you, your mother, and me."
"What do you mean?" she asked in a small voice.
Callie gently turned her daughter's attention over to her. She grabbed both of Brooklyn's hand in her own and their eyes connected.
"What you're father is trying to tell you Brooks, is that I'm going to have a baby."
Brooklyn remained silent, seemingly absorbing the information that was shared; suddenly, she tore her hands away from Callie's and darted off of the couch. Embry chased after her, his long legs making it easy for him to catch up with her and grab her into the air right before she reached the stairs.
He carried the struggling seven-year-old back into the living room and placed her back on the couch. He was about to ask her why she had run away, when he heard her let out a chocked sob.
Embry's eyes met Callie's once more, this time they both contained worry.
Embry knelt on the ground and placed his hand under Brooklyn's chin, gently lifting it so that her tear-streaked face could be seen.
"What's wrong Brookie?" he asked her gently. He hoped that by using the nickname that he had given to her as a child would make her feel better, but it did the exact opposite; she started to cry even harder.
Callie couldn't take the heart retching cries any longer; she pulled Brooklyn into her lap and began to rock her gently, cooing softly into the distraught child's ear.
When Brooklyn's body stopped shaking, Callie whispered into her ear, "What's wrong, sweetie?"
"You're going to send me away!" she wailed, her face red and damp with her tears.
"What?" Embry asked, trying to hide his shock at her question by gently rubbing her back.
"Now that you're going to have a baby of your own, you're not going to want to keep me anymore!"
"Where did you get that idea?" Callie demanded softly, her arms tightening around her daughter.
"You and daddy are going to have a baby that's actually yours! Not the daughter of your sister who died! You won't want to be my family anymore because you'll have a baby of your own! I won't have a family anymore!" she continued to wail.
"Brookie," Embry urged gently, "Look at me sweetie."
Brooklyn looked up at Embry, her eyes glistening with tears.
"You listen to me, Brooklyn Avira Alexander-Call," he told her sternly, "You are my daughter, you are your mother's daughter. You will always be our daughter, and we will always love you. Your mother having a baby is not going to change how much we love you."
Callie felt the need to interject, "Just because I didn't give birth to you, doesn't mean that I will love you less then any baby that I do give birth to."
Brooklyn sniffled, her tears coming to a stop.
"Your mother having a baby is a good thing Brooklyn; don't you want to be a big sister?" Embry asked.
Brooklyn hesitantly nodded her head.
Embry could see that although the idea of being a big sister brightened up Brooklyn's face slightly, there was still a sense of sadness protruding from her damp eyes. "What else are you worried about Brook?" Embry asked her softly.
Brooklyn's head dropped so that her long, black hair concealed her face. She mumbled something that was inaudible to her parents; Callie and Embry looked at each other, silently asking the other if they understood what their daughter had mumbled. Embry shrugged his shoulders, having not caught a word of Brooklyn's garbled sentence.
"What did you says Brooks?" Callie prompted.
"What if you won't have any time for me?" she mumbled louder, her face remaining concealed by her curtain of hair.
Embry sighed overdramatically, lifting Brooklyn's face so that he could see her worried expression. "We will always have time for you," he assured her in a strong voice.
Understanding dawned on Callie's face, she now understood that not only was Brooklyn afraid of being replaced, but she was also afraid that Embry and Callie would neglect her once the baby came.
"Just because we're having a baby, doesn't mean that we will forget about you," she assured Brooklyn, "If anything, it means we're going to need your help with the baby, which means we'll be spending even more time together."
Callie felt the need to lighten Brooklyn's mood, which obviously meant she had to make fun of Embry, "I mean, if anything you'll get annoyed with us because you're spending so much time with us. I mean, do you really want to spend hours with your dad? He talks a lot, and I mean a lot."
Embry gave her an offended look, dramatically placing his hand over his heart, "I have no idea what you're mother is talking about, I don't talk a lot!"
Brooklyn started to giggle, which then became a full-fledged laugh. Callie smiled triumphantly, knowing she had completed her task of lifting Brooklyn's spirits.
"We love you Brooks, so much. And we want this baby to help our family be filled with even more love. We know it's going to be a change, but I know in my heart that it's going to be a change for the better," Callie told her adamantly.
Brooklyn nodded her head up and down, a smile lighting up her whole face. Suddenly a look of pure excitement fell upon her face, "Does this mean that when the baby is old enough, I'll be able to help it learn how to control its powers?" she asked excitedly.
Letting out a musical laugh, Callie nodded her head, "Yes, you'll be able to help me teach it all about magic."
With an ecstatic smile on her face, Brooklyn turned in Callie's arms and lowered her head so that her face was level with Callie's only slightly rounded stomach. Brooklyn placed a gentle hand over where the baby was growing as she whispered, "I can't wait until you get here, baby; I promise that I'll be the best big sister in the world."
Callie smiled at her daughter lovingly, stroking her silky hair as she continued to talk to her unborn brother or sister.
"You will be the best big sister in the world, Brooklyn, I just know it," Callie whispered softly.
And she knew what she said was true.
I know it took awhile for me to get this out, but in all honesty, I've barely had time to breathe, let alone write! I know you guys are used to be updating a few times a week, which last Semester, worked for me; but I have some really difficult and time consuming courses this Semester, so I won't be updating as regularly. What can I say? College is kicking me butt!
I know this chapter is short, but I thought it got the emotions/point across. I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope you review and let me know what you thought!