AN – I can't even lie, I did a dance when I saw this get put on a few Story Alerts and reviews. It's the first ff I've wrote and actually posted somewhere so I'm glad some people are interested. Thanks guys!
If you notice any typos or anything let me know.
I've set up a tumblr to post pictures of things to http:/digitalaurora(DOT)tumblr(DOT)com/ I'm also going to be doing tags for the posts, so here is chapter 1 http:/www(DOT)tumblr(DOT)com/tagged/ddchap1
"Nick! Come in here and wash up for dinner." Bella leaned against the railing of her back porch and watched her son run up the stairs and to the door. He had his hand shoved in his pocket and looked suspicious. "What do you have?"
"Nothing momma." The brown haired boy was staring intently at his shoes for a few moments before looking up at her and smiling.
"Nicholas Malcolm, you know it makes me sad when you lie." She crouched down to his level.
"I found a surprise for you." He dug in his pocket and took out a dirty looking bracelet and held it out to her.
"This is very pretty. Do you want to help me wash it off?" She watched his mood change to excitement and he ran past her into the house. They cleaned the bracelet and set it aside to dry while they ate dinner. While Nick picked up his toys she took a closer look at the bracelet, it had a large chunky chain and a heart shaped charm on it inscribed with the Tiffany's. Her jaw dropped and she hurried into Nick's room. "Sweetie, where did you find this?"
"In the dirt." He answered very simply, not looking up from his toy box.
"Can you show me where?"
"But momma I'm in my pajamas, and you said never go outside after…"
"I know sweetie but we can make an exception this time. " To save time she picked him up and walked outside following the direction he was pointing. When she walked around the garage she could clearly see where he'd been digging, right at the intersection of the fence that lined her and her neighbors' yard. She'd have to make the rounds tomorrow to find out if someone had dropped it.
After putting Nick to bed she went downstairs and got ready to spend the next few hours as Aurora. For the most part she ran on bookings, that were regular customers but on free nights she would usually end up sitting in front of her webcam updating the site or reading until someone initiated a session. When she'd worked it out with Angela it was just a peepshow. A client would pay; she'd tease the hell out of them for half an hour and it would be over. She did one video a client a night and if they wanted more she did chats.
She wouldn't be lying when she said she enjoyed it, that she had fun. If she was honest with people what she did there would be eye rolls and comments about her being so young and undoubtedly someone would call child services on her. Strangely she got almost the same reaction when she told people she made cupcakes for people on the internet, minus the child services call. But really the only thing she was guilty of with her son was trying to do more and be better than anyone had been to her. That she always had him reaching higher.
"Don't wish for the stars Nick, go farther and wish higher." Her bedtime mantra for her son, she'd said it every day since he was born. "You deserve the farthest star and everything in your way." The addition from the doorway always slid through the room like a cool breeze on a hot night. She didn't care that generally he was already asleep, worn out from the day and calmed down by the books they would pour through together. She liked to think it was imprinting itself in his subconscious and be his driving force.
She'd planned her evening light tonight since it was the last week before Nick started school and she promised they'd be going to Shedd Aquarium. He'd be rocketing into her room at 6 and she would have to convince him they didn't open that early.
"MOM MOM MOM MOM MOM!" She heard him start before he left his bedroom. She sighed and snuggled into her blankets more. "MOM IT'S TIME TO GO SEE FISH!" He was now standing on her side of the bed yelling into her ear. When he crawled into bed she grabbed him and pinned him down.
"Baby, the fish don't get out of bed for another few hours."
"Why?"
"They need sleep like little boys do, so they can grow big and strong."
"Why?"
"Is this how the day is going to go?"
"Huh?"
"Never mind Nick. Let's get up and go have some breakfast." She managed to keep him occupied for about an hour before he got restless again. Then she remembered the bracelet. "Nick do you want to go do something with me before we get ready to go?"
"What do you need to do?" The little boy tilted his head at her.
"I need to go talk to our neighbor to see if this is their bracelet." She picked it up from where it had been sitting and showed it to him.
"But I gave it to you." He looked up at her with wide eyes and pouted.
"But someone might have lost it since you found it behind the garage."
"It was in the dirt!" The pout was only getting worse and his brown eyes were filling up with tears.
"I know sweetie but someone might have dropped it. You won't be in trouble. Do you want to come with me?"
He nodded in response and latched onto her when she hugged him. She jotted down a quick note incase no one answered and took it and the bracelet with her next door. Between knocking and Nick having a little too much fun with the doorbell and no one answering, she left the note and went back to the house to get ready.
To say they'd had a eventful day was putting it lightly. He was sound asleep when she pulled into the garage and pulled him out of the car. She made it halfway to the house before she looked up to the porch and noticed her back door open. Bella froze for a minute to see if she heard anything then went back to the garage and locked the door from the inside and got her phone out.
"911 what's your emergency?"
"Um..hi my name is Bella Swan and I live at 1675 Orchard. My son and I have been gone all day and we just got back and it looks like my back door is smashed open." She put Nick in the front seat of the car while she was talking to the 911 operator in case she needed her to do something.
"That's 1675 Orchard? I will dispatch officers. Did you go in the house?"
"No I have a 4 year old son who's sleeping and I don't want to leave him. I locked us in the garage."
"Is there a place you can go nearby? Can you see anyone in the house?"
"I would have to go back down the driveway to get there. No I don't see anyone, it looks like all the lights are off and I can't see flashlights. But we have a furnished basement and they could be down there."
"Well if you are safe please stay where you are. I will let the officers know to come to the back door and I'll stay on the line with them until they arrive."
"Thank you. I'm so glad Nick can sleep like the dead."
"That's your son?"
"Yeah, it's just us living here." She could hear the sound of sirens approaching and peeked through the windows on the garage door. "I see the police pulling in now. Thank you so much."
"Just doing my job ma'am. I'm glad they're there. I'll be releasing the call now."
"Ok ok yes here they come. Thank you again." She hung up the phone and opened the door when the police started tapping on it. "Hello."
"Hello miss. Can you come with me? We just want to get you somewhere safe."
"Well I need to get my son." The officer nodded and she went back to get Nick and followed the officer out front to one of the police cars out front. The sirens woke Nick up with a start and he threw his hands over his ears until the officer made it to the car to turn off the siren.
"Police car!" Nick looked absolutely bewildered and amazed.
"Hi buddy. Do you want a sticker?" He laughed as Nick squirmed his way out of Bella's arms and went towards the police officer. "I can keep him occupied. The other officer will be coming out in a minute, he just went with the other guys to sweep the house." Bella smiled and nodded and watched as her son started asking the officer question after question.
"Are you Bella Swan?" She turned towards the voice and nodded. "Nice to meet you. I'm Officer Cullen. I just have a few questions to ask you before we do a run through of the house to see what has been taken. Can you come by my car and we can talk about it where he won't hear?" He gestured to her son and she nodded and followed him to the police car that was parked on the street.