Sorry, I was hoping to update sooner, but I've been in Queensland, chilling on the ironically not-so-Gold Gold Coast and Brizzy! I think it didn't rain for only one day, not to mention there's been the flooding all over the state... And going home has been the total opposite! At least it didn't dampen the fun is all that I say! The beaches were terribly battered from the wind and rain along the coast though and the majority near Surfer's Paradise were closed from the damage.

Oh and how's all the exciting H2O cast news been lately?! Luke's got a lead role on a new U.S. show (and his wifey's in a new show too), Angus is back on PTTR, Indiana's confirmed to be returning to Crownies for the spin-off (but come on, seeing as Conrad isn't returning, we all know Tatum's unfortunately going to end up Richard), Cariba had the role in Howzat! and the movie and Phoebe's got the new show that's a spin-off of TVD that Claire's in! Cannot believe how well they're all doing with their careers!

Enjoy!

Chapter 21 – Out Of Left Field

Will's POV

I had just parted ways with Bella and Allie - My ex-girlfriend and my daughter.

I was thankful to my coping-mechanisms within me that had allowed me to take the news as best as I could at the time when I was being dealt with Bella's total honesty. The last thing she needed was for me to spook on her and freak out at the time and the last thing I needed was for her to clam up again, especially when she was being so blatantly honest to me at last with the much-needed truth. It was absolutely life changing - a word that is used way too frequently in such a pitifully minor context. This is life changing...

However, now that I was on my own, I could feel my serenity passing away and my rationalism was drying up…

Now, the impact of the news I received today was really starting to hit and dawn on me.

You know how something unexpected takes a while to sink in and for the realization to hit? That is exactly what it left like. A ball had pelted out of left field in my direction and the hit was only just beginning to be felt.

The majority of people, normal people, had 8 or 9 months to prepare themselves for the same news that I had just been informed of. The news of becoming a parent and having a child… Hell, mine had already been around for over a year! What have I even been doing over the last year?! I had a child out there, a living, breathing child and I was completely oblivious to it and to her existence.

I guess I felt a little bit robbed. I would have already missed so many milestones of Allie's and I was none the wiser.

Fourteen months ago when my daughter was born, a monumental day for any parent, it would have been just been a normal day for me. Heck, I can't even remember what I did on the day! When Allie was taking her first steps, forming her first words, I would have been carrying on life as normal with no cause to consider the significance that I was missing out on. So much for all that parental instinct garbage…

After I finally felt calmer and at ease enough to enter the house again, I walked in and made my way straight through to the kitchen to get myself a beer bottle with the intention of isolating myself in my room with it, either sorting things out in my head or sleeping the shock off.

What my plan didn't factor in was Zane's presence.

"Where'd you sneak off to?" Zane smirked as I walked straight passed him on my mission to reach the fridge.

"I don't want to talk about it…" I said, attempting to palm him off which failed as he unintentionally made me feel worse while he thought that he was joking around with me. "Aw, come on. Will's not a happy boy? Tell Papa-Zane."

I slapped my hand on the cold, hard marble bench top to make a firm stand against him. "I said I don't want to talk about it!"

His joking manner shriveled away to seriousness as the smile disappeared after I snapped at him for what he had perceived as a witty remark. "Seriously. mate, are you alright?"

"I'm a dad, Zane!" I huffed out of frustration, partly wanting to throw the glass beer bottle that was in my hands before fighting the frustration off with sarcasm. "I have a one-year old that I never knew I had. What part of that would make you think that I'm not alright?!"

"Man…" Zane huffed out as air fled through his lips in shock as he took in the information I was still struggling to wrap my own head around. "Hell, that's big… Bella, yeah?"

"Yeah." He nodded before speaking again with questions that were beginning to feel never ending continued, much to my personal disgust. "Do you reckon that there's much chance that you two could or would give things another shot, even if it's for the sake of your kid?"

"No. Do I need to remind you that we're both in separate relationships? Our daughter's the only thing that's come out of our relationship. She's the only common ground that we've got left now."

"What was her name again? Your kid, I mean."

"Allie..." I sighed. "And she's perfect and I don't what in the world I'm going to do about her…"

The two of us stayed sitting there in silence for a few minutes, an opportunity that I attempted to play to my advantage as I tried to sneak out of the room with the bottle that held the pale liquid that I had been initially planning to depart with before being stopped as Zane came to his senses.

"How are you going with it? I know you said you suspected it a few weeks ago, but it's still huge news."

My answer to his question was a shrug. It wasn't his query that especially bothered me, it was the fact that I was craving solitude right now to be able to make the decision of sorting my own head out about it, or to ignore it completely and focus on something different for a while.

"Have you thought about it much?"

"Well that is the dumbest question since something that was on Being Lara Bingle" I bit back with annoyance, pressing my back against the closest wall to me that I was nearing.

He shrugged, unfazed. "Sorry. Bit speechless; words aren't coming out like they are in my head. What I mean to say is, have you thought about whether you're going to go for custody or joint-custody of her or anything like that?"

"I don't know, Zane! My head is spinning and I'm pretty sure that my brain's shocking information quota is chocker-block-full for the next year at least! At this stage, all that I have been able to work out is that I do want to have something to do with her. Problem is that I wouldn't even know where to start with caring for a one-year old and being responsible for her. Allie would probably do a better job looking after me.

"Well you could always do a double deal with the lawyer and sue the newspaper company, as well as apply for custody of her... Might be cheaper for you."

I threw my hands to my face. Trust Zane to bring it all right back to money – the last thing that I was thinking of at the moment. "Listen. I don't even know if I want to do a custody thing or anything. Bella said she will be able to come over with Allie sometimes when she see's Rikki so I can spend some time with Allie then. I think that just having some access to her suits me best right now… Sure, she's my daughter but that doesn't override the fact that we're still total strangers to each other. There's a lot I still need to deal with, heck, I haven't even thought about what I'm going to do about telling my family."

"If you don't go for this now, Will, the custody I mean, and decide to later, the courts might debate that you weren't willing to now or reference back to now. Whereas, doing it now shows how committed you are."

"How does applying for custody show committment?! It would only show that I was being unrational! I just told you that don't know if I want custody right now, let alone to go for it. After Bella explained a truck-load of information today, I think that custody would only make things worse for both of us. I don't have the experience to even be a part-time father yet, let alone be a full time one. Anyway, try to name one one-year old friendly item in this house, Zane. Besides, Bella sounded like she was really struggling at the moment. She said her boyfriend can't know I know otherwise it's going to get worse from here."

"So you're both letting that fruitcake rule over you now?!"

That was the last straw with Zane, I'd had more than enough for the time being. "Shut up Zane. Leave me alone. Just asking questions and stop choosing my life for me. Stop everything around me, basically" I commanded firmly as I made my exit from the room that I had attempted to leave numerous times already.

I was making my way upstairs, noticing Rikki walk into the room that I had just left, but entering from the arch that she couldn't have seen me leaving from. On any normal day, that would not have bothered me in the slightest; Zane and Rikki can talk alone, they're housemates – it's nothing abnormal, but it was what happened next that caught my attention.

"Hey Rikki, guess what?" I could hear Zane say from the echo of the room as I walked upstairs while he made conversation with the only female representative of our share house.

"What? You're moving out?" she had witted with a typical Rikki-type retorting comment. That girl had endless tact.

Zane brushed off the comment with a laugh to guard his exterior that he would have used to act as though it had not impacted him, but I knew from past experience that that was the sort of comment that would have actually caused him a twinge of hurt. "Funny. But no, Rikki, you're wrong. I own the place, remember? Besides, it's better than that, I'm an almost-uncle!"

"An almost-uncle?" Rikki questioned as I rolled my eyes from another room. By this point I was beginning to tune out from the conversation, not wanting to know anymore than the fact that Zane had blown my news to Rikki too. Someone else to get prodded with questions from. "How does that work? You're an only child. Unless you've been kept in the dark about secret siblings too…"

"Nah, Will and Bella have a kid."

By this point I was nearly completely tuned out and out of hearing range as I reached the top of the staircase and headed for the destination of my bedroom. The next and last comment was make or break.

"What?! Bella finally told him?"

And that was it. That was the deal breaker – the final and only comment that I needed as an incentive to return downstairs and join the conversation, albeit unpleasantly, that I had spent the last 30 seconds listening in on. Ironically, in the sudden annoyance that I had been thrown into with Rikki's comment, I had completely tuned out to the conversation again as I walked back into the kitchen, although more interested in it now than what I had been the entire time.

"Are you serious?!" I blasted the second that my body entered the room. Rikki flinched in surprise and Zane's head darted towards my direction.

"About what?" Rikki replied, effectively managing to calm herself from the startled state when I first entered the room.

"Allie! You knew about her?! You knew about her the whole time and you didn't even think to tell me?!"

Rikki sighed, looking behind me and not into my eyes as she stared into the distance. "Listen. I don't agree with the way that Bella went about that, but I promised her that I wouldn't say anything."

"You've lived with me for the last few months and you've been able to live with knowing that I have child that I knew nothing about?! I understand that your best buds with Bella, but I thought that I was your friend too, Rikki…"

Rikki threw her hands up in the air and left the room, in a way, having the last laugh.

In all honesty, I was not surprised in the slightest that Rikki had known. It was no secret that Bella and I were together, especially not for Rikki, but given the events that have unfolded today and how over all of it I was, I was ready to snap at anyone. I knew it wasn't Rikki's fault, but I expected a little bit of loyalty, even if that was just a matter of her trying to convince Bella to tell the truth earlier, not that I had even really known the fuel behind Bella's motivation to come clean in the first place. Really, Rikki could have been behind it convincing her all along and I had just bit her head off.

It was at that point that things got even worse, once again and I heard my phone go off, signaling a new message that I had just received.

I pulled my phone out of my pocket, revealing the message from my girlfriend.

Amy Reed
I'm running a bit late, SORRY! xo

"Brilliant…" I sighed under my breath, reading the text which acted as a reminder to my completely forgotten plans.

Zane tried to peer over and see the screen. "Who is it?"

"Amy. After today, the last thing I feel like doing is going on a date. No chance that you want to go on a date with my girlfriend for me?"

Zane's hand landed in his head, as his sudden laughter slowly died down. "Oh wow. You're having a good day, aren't you, mate?!"

"No. I'm more than ready to spontaneously combust right now. I want today to be over with already…" I sighed as I left the room, leaving to get ready for my date with Amy who I think I sent a reply to on my way...

In all honesty, I wasn't proud to admit it, but I think that Amy was just an accessory. She was Bella's friend, she was keen, I was interested in getting closer to Bella and finding out what she was hiding when Rikki obviously was not an option. Now I knew what that was, and more importantly that I knew that I had a daughter, Amy wasn't really needed anymore. I didn't want to just throw her out, that wasn't me, but it wasn't right to string her along in a relationship that I felt very little thrill or interest in.

Don't get me wrong, she was a lovely girl; funny and genuine, and I had enjoyed our dates that we had already been on together, but the last thing that I needed now, especially now that I knew about Allie, was a girlfriend.

Right now, I had a girl in my life, a girl that was going to need a lot of attention, time and focus to build up a relationship with – and that girl wasn't my girlfriend.

And that was what concluded my decision to likewise conclude my relationship with Amy…

Even despite being unprepared after having forgotten about my date with Amy, I was still the first one on the beach at the point that we had started off at on a few of our previous dates. Spending the time I waited to look out on the ocean that cleared my head only clarified my decision that I had made earlier –after my hugely hectic day- to end my relationship with Amy. That was all set and decided by me until hurricane Amy arrived.

Eventually I was joined by my girlfriend who would only be maintaining that position for the time being.

"Hey!" she called out with a smile as she made her way through the difficult sand. "Sorry I'm late."

I was joined to her on the public beach as she came over, leaning up and giving me a brief kiss in greeting.

"Don't worry about it. I haven't been here for long anyway."

"Mmm" she replied, before I felt the warmth of her pressing her lips into mine once again. "That's good in that case."

Eventually we retracted from each other, as initiated by myself, so she took my hand in hers as we walked closely together along the packed beach on the warm, sticky summer's evening.

Small talk was the initial conversation topics as we discussed our days, our superficial thoughts and our plans for tomorrow. We still hadn't quite gotten over that comfort mound when minor things like chats became more of a free-flowing and natural thing. To me, that was another reassurance of now being an ideal point to end our relationship, before we became too emotionally attached and connected.

A few minutes into the date, as the typical topics of conversation began to draw to a close, I prepared myself with the words that I would soon say, trying to think of the nicest possible manner to break up with Amy that I had brainstormed earlier, without her feeling like she was just being dumped because she was unneeded. In order to justify my decisions and achieve that goal, I felt like I needed to tell her about Allie; I needed her to have an understanding of that.

"Amy…" I sighed, beginning to tighten my grasp on her petite hands. I was nervous and had no idea how to handle what I wanted to come next. This was the first time that I was initiating a break up.

"I was kind of missing out a few parts when I was talking to you about what I did today…"

She laughed to herself, evidently keeping a light heart and positive attitude over the situation. "Oh yes… Did you forget to tell me about the time that you woke up, toilet breaks you had and the meals you ate?"

"No…" I chuckled away, trying to laugh at her joke that was becoming increasingly difficult when I remembered the impending news that I was going to need to impart to Amy, news that was probably going to dampen her cheerful mood at least slightly. "What I mean to say is that Bella came over and saw me today… She came over to tell me that her daughter, you know Allie, is actually our daughter."

I thought that I would get the hard news out of the way before I moved onto the worse news that would have started to be paved out by then. I felt terrible as I saw the shock on her face and I felt bad for feeling like I was toying around with her emotions, even though I had only learnt the news today too.

The shock on her face was short-lived until she displayed a much more definitive look of excitement as her face lit up. Not the reaction I was expecting. "Wow, I mean wow that's a big surprise, but that's pretty awesome… I've always thought that she was a gorgeous girl, but it's so much cooler now knowing that she's my boyfriend's daughter! You're going to love spending time with her – she's such an adorable child!"

"Yeah… That's just what I was trying to lead to. This is a big surprise for me too, and it's going to take a lot of time to get used to it. Then there's also the fact that I don't know Allie and I don't know one-year olds very well so it's going to take a lot of time and a lot of focus to work through and get used to... So, this is very hard for me to say, but I think that it would be best if we-"

"Of course, Will, there's no need to ask. It's totally understandable that you don't know Allie very well given the unusual circumstances and all, so I don't mind helping you when you're looking after her and all that. It'll be no trouble. I've looked after her a few times before. Besides, who knows, she might be my step-daughter one day... Well in a way, I guess that she already is, just not legally."

Oh hell. I knew I was bad and inexperienced at break ups, but this was just my luck.

"Yeah that's one way of putting it, but all things considered and looking at the future scheme of things, I really think that it's best if I focus mainly on Allie for a while."

Amy nodded and I silently rejoiced over the fact that I thought it had finally gotten through to her. I was finally successful with getting my point across to my not-so-intuitive girlfriend. Saying no to suggestions and rejecting things was by no means my forte. "No, no, I completely understand. I think that's a really good idea. Take a bit of time now to focus mainly on your daughter so that it will be easier in the future. I get that."

"Oh good" I smiled, exhaling a long-held breath of relief as I spent a moment to appreciate how easy and mess-free this conversation was panning out, until the bomb was dropped.

"Yeah, I mean our relationship is going really well so I think that can afford you taking on a bit more responsibility and time with Allie. I'm always here for both of you. I'm just still trying to wrap my head around the fact you're her dad! I've always thought she was a little sweetheart even when I thought she was Daniel and Bella's, but now, it's so much more exciting to think that she's sort of my step-daughter too, and one day she might be a half-sister to our children. It's just so exciting!"

Amy had taken my breath away, and not in a good way.

I had to take a step back…

All of this had sprouted from me arranging to meet up with Amy and share my newly discovered news in an attempt to subtly and gently end our supremely short relationship, if you could even call it that. I don't even know how she had done it, but I'd started off explaining my thoughts in the exact manner that I had mentally planned and recited on the way to the date. However, Amy's expected reaction was way off.

I was expecting yelling, maybe some waterworks or if I was having a bad day, a slap across the face like you see in the movies before the girl walks off. But no, she was ecstatic. Ecstatic about the fact that I was Allie's father… And that wasn't all. Then from there, Amy had somehow managed to sidestep, reverse, maneuver and accelerate our conversation as it fell apart from my plans. She continued to rave about how adorable Allie is and how she is her somewhat step-daughter… For now. But no, that still wasn't all. Then she started getting wrapped up in the idea of Allie having siblings. From us.

My head was spinning.

All I knew is that I had met up with Amy with the intention to break up with her and now she was talking about us having kids?!

I am really going to need to brush up on my ability to say no, along with my skills in breaking up with girls…

Hope you all enjoyed the chapter! I've written about 80% of the next one too, but I'm extremely busy with school at the moment, plus I'm engrossed in two amazing books which is all time-consuming ontop of other life stuff. Seriously though, one of the books, 'Perfect Scoundrels' is the third in my favourite series and you don't know what you're missing out on if you haven't read it. I've already converted three die-hard Hunger-Games-Is-The-Best-Book-In-The-World friend's of mine and the 'Heist Society' series is now number one.

Anyway, as for the chapter. Poor Will, not sure how much more drama I can pack on him for a while, but I'm going to give it a shot! Like Will, I am terrible at saying no and downright declinging someone in situations like that. It can be extremely dangerous, trust me... As for Amy, she's a bit of an interesting one, hey?! Thoughts on her? I know she was intense, but unfortunately I know people, especially, girls that are like that. As soon as they develop a crush, they start planning the wedding - no joke, give them an inch and they take a mile - and it just becomes an awkward mess for the guy involved.

Next chapter: After an initially rocky start with bonding, Rikki attempts to get Tam out of her life before the tables are turned on her. Then, which two characters unexpectedly up the ante with their relationship?

Don't forget your reviews!