Hello Sister, Goodbye Life

Disclaimer: I do not own the Twilight saga. All recognisable characters, content or locations belong to their respective owners. No copyright infringement intended.

Warning: Adult themes. Language

Chapter Two

Working Class Man

he's a simple man
with a heart of gold
in a complicated land
oh he's a working class man
Working Class Man - Jimmy Barnes

Bella Swan

It was around five o'clock in the morning when Madeleine toddled in and somehow managed to climb in bed and shake me awake. I groaned, rolling onto the side, looking bleary eyed up at my sister. Her thin hair was tangled and she had sleep in the corner of her eyes and what may or may not have been drool on the corner of her lips.

"Bel?"

"Yes, Maddie?" Sitting up and resigning myself to two hours less sleep, I pulled my feet out of bed and Maddie onto my lap, only to find the reason why she was awake so early.

Urgh. Dirty diapers. Whimpering and dreading what was to come, I carried Maddie back into her room and set her down on the baby change table.

Somehow between gagging, I managed to clean Maddie up, give her a fresh diaper and throw out the soiled one without throwing up last night's dinner. Granted, it took a solid twenty minutes to do so but, hey, I was wholly unprepared for parenthood. Didn't most mothers have the nine months of pregnancy to prepare themselves for the tasks that came with motherhood.

With Maddie on my hip again, I sulked downstairs to find Maria – thank God – in the kitchen preparing breakfast. She smiled up at us and took Maddie from me, putting her in her booster seat as I flicked on the coffee machine. Once my coffee was brewed, I slid into a bar stool beside Maddie's booster seat and watched Maria prepare breakfast for myself and Maddie – what looked like Cheerios for Maddie and eggs and bacon for me. I love Maria. I ate in silence, a common occurance for me as I was wholly unsocial before nine AM. Maria pretended to understand Maddie's babbling as she cleaned up Maddie's mess as it was being made.

"Bella, you must take Madeleine to daycare today," Maria announced once Maddie had finished her breakfast.

Daycare? I didn't even know that daycare catered for one and a half year olds

After showering madeleine and trusting Maria to have her dressed for daycare, I had my own shower, mentally preparing myself for my father's clients and a busy day of filing. I was going to be grey before I was thirty: I could feel it.

At around eight, Rosalie stumbled out of her room, her hair a mess and looking like death warmed over. "Serves you right, Rosalie Lillian Hale, six cocktails within one hour; honestly!" If my hands weren't full with Maddie, a diaper bag and a briefcase, I would've thrown my hands up in exasperation, though, as the case may be, Rosalie was lucky not to witness my hand gestures.

"Shut up," she groaned, walking in the direction of the kitchen for some coffee.

With my briefcase dropped in the passenger seat, Maddie's diaper bag at the feet of Maddie and Maddie in her car seat, I slid into the Mercedes my father had baught three years ago, and started the engine, only to realise that this man drove a stick. Kill me now.

I hadn't driven manual since college and even then, I was barely adequate. Grumbling about my father's preference of car but too lazy to swap to my own, I pulled the car into reverse and prayed that I didn't stall on a main road.

I followed Maria's directions – still unsure how to use the GPS system father had installed – and pulled into the parking lot of Maddie's daycare center. Diaper bag over shoulder and little sister's hand in mine, I walked into the 'Funhouse' and was greeted by a bubbly woman with spikey black hair and blue eyes.

"Hi, I'm Alice, I'm a volunteer here, this your daughter?"

I shook my head, "My little sister, believe it or not."

She blushed, embarrassed at her slip up but ploughed on, anyway. "So can we just have your name, your sister's name, your relationship to her and just everything else that needs to be written down." She handed me a register and I filled it out. Guardian's Name, Child's Name, Child's Age, Relation to Child, Does the child have any specific requirements?, Arrival Time, Departure Time. Once filled out, I handed it back to her and said, "My friend Rosalie is picking her up at three o'clock, is that okay?"

Alice nodded, accepting Maddie's diaper bag and watching as she took Alice's hand. "That's fine," she assured, "We close at five so whenever is easy for whomever is picking her up."

After promising Maddie that I'd see her at home, I left the daycare and headed for the lawfirm Charlie had passed on to me. I'd been interning as a law graduate under my father but once I'd inherited his half of the firm, Billy had announced, "Looks like you've just been promoted, Bella!"

Entering the office, I found Leah, Billy's daughter in law and the firm's receptionist with a starbucks tray and two take out cups of coffee.

"Hey Leah," I greeted, making my way into the office.

"Morning Bella, got you a coffee, flat white, extra cream, the way you like it..." she held it in front of my face and I smiled greatfully, accepting the coffee and moving into what once was my father's office. There were stacks of files covering Charlie's desk around framed photos of his family. The dustbin was brimming with crumpled wads of paper, filing cabinets were filled to the brim with more files and the only thing missing in the disorganised chaos was my father, looking harassed in the swivel chair behind the desk, elbows propped up on the mahogany, fingers steepled and swearing under his breath.

I hadn't missed my parents so much until that instant, and I found myself sitting down in his chair, breathing in the lingering smell of his cologne and the musky smell that was just dad.

Before my greif could fully wash over me, I kicked off my heels and set to work, clearing all the files away in priority order. All the files with 'Case Closed' written on the front in my father's handwriting moved to the Case Closed filing cabinet filled to the brim with Case Closed files. Neatly stacking the files in the cabinet properly – something my father failed to do –I managed to fit all the rest of the files and made about a tenth of the office presentable. All the cases in which there was a court trial coming in the ensuing weeks were placed in a pile in front of my seat, cases put on hold to the left of that and reasonably new cases that were still in the paperwork stage to the right of it. The frames were moved to one side of the desk, my coffee in front of it. Once the dustbin had been emptied and I was able to see the colour of my father's desk, I sat back in his chair and sighed.

I really couldn't blame him for the mess – Charlie was a man and men made mess, even if the fact was that it took a good one and a half hours just to get through all of the Case Closed files and put them in their rightful place.

Just as I sat down, the phone rang. I contemplated not answering it and just letting it go to answering machine but the need to make a good impression on my possible clients, I answered – it was reception.

"Leah, is everything okay?"

"You're nine o'clock appointment is here."

I began rummaging through the drawers until I found Charlie's daily planner. Jessica Newton, Divorce/Custody Case.

Right.

"Thanks Leah, you can, uh, send her in."

Finding the file in the middle stack of files on my desk, I pushed the three piles to the side of my desk and opened it up and began to read through the notes my father took.

A knock alerted me of the arrival of my father's client and, calling out a "Come in!", she did so, taking the leather seat across from my desk.

"You're the new lawyer replacing Charles?"

"Yes," I replied, "Bella Swan; his daughter."

She stood and held out a hand. I too, stood, and shook her hand. "Jessica Stanley, pleasure to meet you."

"And you," I replied, sitting back down and skimming through the file again. "Your husband has been having an affair, you filed for a divorce and for full custody of your three year old daughter, am I correct?"

"Yes," Jessica replied.

Skimming through the files again, I found that Charlie hadn't written any notes of possible employment.

"Ms Stanley, do you have a job that can supply support for you and your daughter?"

She nodded, "I manage a salon down the road."

Writing that down, I asked her another question Charlie seemingly forgot to ask. "Do you have family nearby that can take care of your daughter in the events that you are unable to?"

"No, they're all in Forks, but I've got friends that are willing to."

After several more notes, I closed the file and smiled. "You've got a good chance of having the trial end in your favour, Ms Stanley. Do you understand that we'll go in front of the district court, your husband and his lawyer will be in attendance, as well as your daughter whom, I believe, is currently with her godparents?"

Jessica nodded in affirmative, a longing look in her eyes.

"A statement will be taken from her, I will ask her questions, as will Mr Newton's attorney if he wishes to do so. You will be asked questions, as will Mr Newton."

She nodded again, agreeing with the terms.

After two more clients, neither of whom as agreeable as Jessica of the change in attorneys, I stepped out of my office, shoes back on and wallet in hand. Leah was munching on an egg and lettuce sandwhich at her desk and she waved up at me.

"Your lunchbreak goes for an hour, be back before two!" She called as I exited through the main doors. I waved behind me in acknowledgement and made my way to the cafe across the street. Buying a ham and cheese sandwhich and a bottle of diet coke – can't get enough of that caffeine – I returned to the office and sat down with Leah.

"How's life with Jacob?" I asked, mouthful of ham and cheese and bread.

Leah smiled goofily, fluttering her eyelids. "Great, Bella, it's amazing. I recommend you get married ASAP. Best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Honey, you know I'm a divorce and family court attorney, right?"

She laughed. "I suppose that would put someone off marriage. But look at Charlie and Renee! It made their love stronger!"

I smiled fondly. It was true – I hadn't seen a couple like Renee and Charlie before, so sickly sweet it made me want to retch.

Having eaten my sandwhich and finished my soft drink, I dumped them in Leah's trashcan, receiving a disapproving look from her as I did so, before moving back into Charlie's office and logging onto Facebook. Amazing work ethic.

I had a wall post from Rosalie.

Thanks, bitch, for leaving me an auto.

Right. Should've used Renee's Audi – that was an auto. Rosalie hated autos as much as I hated Manuals.

My day couldn't have ended earlier and I found myself looking forward to going home, if only to get away from the office. Then I remembered that there was a one year old waiting for me and I wasn't looking forward to going home quite as much as I was, if only so i didn't corrupt my little sister as much as possible.

Traffic was a nightmare and I wasn't sure whether or not to be happy or annoyed at that fact. On one hand, I was hungry, frustrated and had an episode of Supernatural to watch while, on the other, I had a little sister waiting for me to mother her and mothering was something I didn't plan for. I had no time to prepare for parenting – I was just thrown into guardianship the moment my parents were hit by that stupid lorry and I had no idea what the hell I was doing: I didn't want to disappoint anyone, most certainly not Madeleine.

Author's Note: Um... wow? Eleven reviews in, like, two nights, 40 alerts, one community, 300 hits and I believe 15+ faves, not to mention all the author faves/alerts! I really don't know what to say but thanks to Freesias and Strawberries, who edited the last chapter and everyone who read, reviewed, faved and alerted. It seriously made my day :)

Hope you enjoyed this chapter and, yes, I do enjoy reviews and constructive criticism is welcome. x