Chapter Twenty Two

Peter

The Major was very quiet as I drove out of Boston on our way home, he was still very disoriented and weak and I knew we'd have to stop for him to hunt before we got there. Suddenly he broke the silence,

"What did she say about me Peter?"

"Who? Bella? Quite a bit really. She was looking for you originally, before she knew she was pregnant"

"Why?"

"She found some of your stuff Alice hadn't quite trashed at the house in Forks and wanted to return it to you. She was looking for a way to find Carlisle, find out about the drugs he'd prescribed her. Well not him it turns out but that wacko blonde bitch"

"What about her party?"

"She told us you'd been trying to stop Edward overreacting and the others thought you were attacking her."

"She saw that? Anything else?"

"She felt responsible for you and Alice breaking up."

"What did she say when she found out she was pregnant?"

"Apart from Oh shit not again!?"

"She already has a child?"

"No, she lost her first when her husband died"

"She was married?"

"Yeah, a guy called Jake. He got wiped out in a motorcycle accident and she lost the baby. She was in a bad way, on medication and started to worry when she found out the prescribing Doctor was a certain Dr Cullen. She jumped to the same conclusion we did, Carlisle."

"Alice told her the baby was mine?"

"Yes, she told us the same"

"So how did Bella end up with you?"

"She was sent South by Alice and we were sent to find her, also by Alice. The pixie godmother, just for a change she did something right."

"Did she believe Alice? About me I mean?"

"You being the father? She was as confused as you but she was pregnant and she did have a baby so part of it was certainly true."

"Have you seen the baby?"

"No, I've been playing Super Hero trying to trace you. So it will be a new experience for both of us but Char says she looks like you, poor thing. She picked you out of a mug shot selection and she sleeps with Shadow."

"Who?"

"Your old horse, you remember, the toy I got from your old place when I went looking."

"That rag horse? Why the hell did she want that?"

"Fucked if I know. You'll be able to ask her personally soon. In fact if you hadn't thrown your 'I want to be alone' tantrum in the shower you could have got all these answers from her and Bella and given my ears a rest."

"She talks well for a baby"

" Yeah, she's developing fast. Char says she has golden brown eyes and her skin is cooler than a human. I guess if you put all that together, you get a hybrid baby so some vampire is the daddy. Why not you? Rose the Dr Frankenstein of the family was certainly experimenting with you."

"Why a baby though?"

"Hey, who knows the working of a woman's mind, especially a Cullen woman. So you ready to stop?"

"Yeah sure."

I left him to hunt alone and sitting in the car waiting I rang Char,

"Hey baby how's Bella?"

"Looks like shit but she's breathing and she'll soon be home. The hospital want her out and she wants out."

"And Grace?"

"Missing her mummy but growing fast. Hows The Major?"

"Ouch that was icy! Remember he's confused and hurting too"

"Yeah I guess. He any more interested in either of them?"

"He's asking a lot of questions"

"Well lets hope he reaches the right conclusions. How much longer before you get home?"

"He's hunting now. I guess another day maybe. He's hurting Charlotte. You should have seen the state he was in"

"I know Peter, I guess I'm just biased. I miss you."

"Miss you too baby."

I hadn't rung off long before he was back and he eyed the phone inquiringly.

"You spoke to Char?"

"Yeah"

"Hows Bella?"

"Coming home soon. I think she's giving the hospital a hard time."

"And the baby?"

"She's got a fucking name Major, use it. Grace is missing her mummy but she's doing fine. She's a little girl not a monster."

He didn't say anything just continued to look at the phone as I drove off,

"Ring. Go on"

He picked the phone up and hesitated before ringing Char,

"Hi Peter what did you forget?"

"Its me"

"Oh, hi. How are you?"

"Better thanks, is...the ba...Grace awake?"

"Yes, she's drawing with Shadow."

"My horse?"

"Was that the name you gave it? Yes I remember you telling me now"

"Did you name it for her?"

"No. Grace named him herself."

We both heard a rustling then a new voice,

"Daddy?"

"Hello... Grace"

"Mummy's sick"

"I know but Charlotte says she'll be home soon"

"Will you?"

"Yes."

"Good. Bye Daddy"

"Bye... Grace. Thank you Charlotte."

"Don't thank me. She asked to speak to you. Try to remember she's just a little girl who thinks you are her Daddy. Don't upset her, please"

"I wont"

He put the phone down and I saw his eyes shining as he looked out the window. He rubbed his chest absently.

"Feeling the pull?"

I asked casually and he nodded before stopping himself.

"What?"

"Too late. You answered before you thought about it. Some thing is drawing you back, it's up to you to decide what. How are you gong to break it to her that you're not her daddy or at least you don't want to be?"

He shook his head and closed his eyes but I saw his hand shake. The inner turmoil of all this was breaking him up. I could understand the shock. Maybe he'd feel better when he saw her.

"You know if you don't take them on, we will."

"Who?"

"Bella and Grace. We've got real fond of them both."

"You never met Grace"

"So, can't you feel her presence anyway? I can. We already told Bella our place is home as long as she's happy with us. So there's no pressure on you to accept either of them."

I waited but he never replied, just kept his eyes closed but I saw the tension in his face, he was torn in all directions.

"What do you think of Bella anyhow?"

"I never looked at her really, only as Edwards girlfriend"

"Major, my bullshit meter is going off the scale. Try again."

"I liked her courage and determination. She wasn't terrified by us, she even saw more in me than my own family and the woman I thought was my mate. I thought about her Peter, while I was in that tank. I thought about her a lot, her face, her smile, the way she looked at me like a person not a monster. Was that wrong? I thought she was with Edward. I thought she would always be with him, she loved him so deeply. What happened?"

I told him her sad story, Edwards and the Cullens abandonment, her half-life with Jake and the tragic end to that, then the depression and pills,

"You know the rest."

"Why would she want me Peter? Two failures already and now me? I don't think so."

"You aren't a failure, only in your eyes. I think she saw beyond that. Give her a chance, see how it goes, don't give up without at least giving it a try. Think about it"

After that we drove in silence getting closer to Bella and Grace and I wondered who frightened him most.