~So I'm pretty busy, about to have a houseful of company, but this was just sitting here. Pay close attention to the first 3 words.

Copyright disclaimer: Twilight and all recognizable characters are sole property of Stephenie Meyer.

Chapter 8: Running

One year later

Bella was barking orders left and right at Barry. She needed Monica for extra support, but she was out of town with her family.

He reminded her she always knew the day would eventually arrive. She should have made a better plan. "I can't believe this. He called as soon as he grabbed the taxi. I mean, seriously? We have no time. He's going to know the second he walks inside."

"Yeah, unless I have time to run down to the storage place, borrow a truck and pack it all up, but you said you were telling soon anyway, so what's the big deal?"

She practically cried, "I just wanted to have a better plan laid out."

He laughed at her. "Honey, your plans have always sucked, just go with the flow. It'll be fine."

Bella made him stay back in her room for a few minutes, so she could break the ice. It was true, she knew the day was coming. It was time to face the music. As soon as she heard the car door slam, she stepped outside. He smiled the smile that always made her feel loved.

"Dad."

He walked fast to get to get to her, dropping his only piece of luggage on the sidewalk. Charlie wrapped her in a tight hug. "My little girl. Bells, you look great, kiddo." He touched her head. "You cut your hair?"

"Yeah."

"I like it."

"Thanks."

The years had aged him, but he still looked great to her, better than the majority of men his age. "You should've called before, I would've cooked you a special dinner."

"Ha, and give you a chance to bolt, no thanks."

She insisted she wouldn't have bolted. They'd been communicating over the phone for a year, and she was happy to have him and her mom back in her life. He was quick to point out every time they tried to see her in the flesh, she backed out for various reasons and he wasn't about to give her an opportunity to create another one. There was actually only one reason she avoided her parents, but the surprise was about to be revealed.

"Come on in. I have a couple of people that need to meet you."

They walked back into the bungalow. First word out of his mouth was clearly what she predicted, "Oh, do you have a friend with a baby?"

She thought she would tell the story first, but why not just show him? That would be much easier. It was like ripping off a band aid. "Bar, come on out."

Barry stepped out of her room with her reason for living. Her dad was a smart man. He lived for law and order and was all about reading the signs or evidence. He studied the infant in Barry's arms and then looked back to his daughter. "Oh, you have got to be kidding me. Isabella Marie Swan, what have you done?"

She reached for her son. Bella invited her father to have a seat next to them on the sofa. She watched a vast of array of emotions transition across his face, but when her little boy broke out with infamous gummy grin, her dad's heart melted. It was written all over his face.

He reached out his finger to have it grasped by a chubby hand. "Hey, there buddy. You're something else, aren't you? I'm you're... "

He looked at Bella for a hint. "Whatever you want him to call you. Your choice."

"Um, how about Poppa?"

She giggled. That sounded fine to her. It fit. Now it was her turn for the formal introduction, since he couldn't speak for himself just yet. "Poppa, this is Atticus Charles Ephraim Black and I think he is tickled pink to meet you." The infant giggled to prove it.

Charlie was happy, he couldn't believe she added Charles in there and he asked if heard the Black part right. She couldn't leave the father information blank. It looked wrong, was wrong and she knew eventually when Jake found out, he would expect his son to have his last name. She knew she was in for it as soon as Atticus went down for a nap. Her father wouldn't say anything upsetting in front of her young son. "May I?"

"Sure, he's super friendly and happy. He's a real people person."

Her dad pulled him into his lap. "I think I might know where you got those traits from, little boy. So, let me take a wild guess. Atticus, you're about three months old, I bet."

"Yes, give or take some days. He was born May 14th, a few weeks early, but he's completely healthy and amazing as you can see."

Barry actually got busy making them a quick lunch. Charlie continued to focus on getting to know his grandson better. By the time, lunch was ready, Atticus was ready for a change and his feeding. She knew he'd take his mid-afternoon nap, so she and her dad could hash out all the inevitable issues.

She sat down with her bowl of soup. Barry said he was going to take off to do a few errands. He was giving them some much needed privacy. "Nice to meet you again, Chief Swan. I see where Bella gets her soulful, dark eyes from now. You two have fun, call if you need me."

Barry slipped out the door. Bella asked if he needed anything else but he said, "Only one thing... I need answers. Are you going to be honest and give them to me?"

"Yes, I'll do my best."

"Bells, your mother and I have struggled for a year trying to figure out why you didn't find a way to let us know you were alive. Now this. Kiddo, what happened to you? Why do you hide from all those that love you?"

"It's a lot more complicated than you know, but I swear I've been trying to figure out a way to tell."

"Me or his father?"

"Both."

"Bells. Come on. It's not that hard to pick up a phone."

"You don't understand what happened last time Jacob and I were together."

"Well, there's a living, breathing human being in the other room. I think I can guess."

Her cheeks burned several degrees warmer than the rest of her. She left out the X-rated parts as she tried explain what it was like to see him, what the truth did to Jacob and how much hurt she caused him.

"And keeping this truth from him isn't hurting him? My God, Bells, that's his son. He's already missed three months of that little boy's life. You're not a cruel person. I believe that in my heart. Stop this right now. Pick up the goddamn phone."

"I will. I just need to figure it all out."

"No, there's no figuring it out. Jacob told me the best news of my life without hesitation. I won't keep him in the dark, not about this."

"He's married," she heaved out that fact. It was just as painful saying it as it was knowing the truth.

"I'm well aware of that. I was there. You knew before though... that you were pregnant, didn't you?" She thought back to how she pretty much knew that first day when he told her he never wanted to see her again, but she had a positive test twelve days later. She even took it early and it still showed two pink lines in no time. Jacob's didn't get married until 15 days after that, because she texted her dad that morning he was getting ready to go to the wedding.

Her father shook his head, "Damn fool kids. I swear you two are the most stubborn people that ever walked the earth."

He reminded her Jacob's annual conference was coming up the following week. She wondered if he would be there again. Charlie confirmed that he would. He'd mentioned coming to visit her to Billy and he said that he and Jacob would just be missing each other in LA.

Then he reminded her Billy was missing out on his grandchild as well. He had four others, but he rarely got to see Rebecca's two. "And your mother, my gosh, that woman is going to jump for joy. She cried on my shoulder at your memorial. She realized we'd never be grandparents."

When she heard those types of things, it destroyed her. She'd heard plenty of similar sentiments over the last year. Speaking of destroyed. "Dad, what about Jacob's marriage?"

"Well, I can't speak to that. I have no idea, but he made his bed, so to speak, a year ago. He should have never married that woman. I knew something was off with him. Several of us did. Jacob will have to figure his relationship out, but I know he'd never turn his back on his child."

"He said he never wanted to see me again."

"Well, that was dumb. It was a lie and it's not possible now, is it?"

She had so much to consider. There was right and wrong, but so much was blurred in between. It turned out her father was coming straight from the airport. It worked out perfectly for him stay with them a couple of days since Monica was gone. She and Barry sat around with him until well after midnight. Of course, her father grilled him on safety and precautions, but found out quickly Barry had it all under control. He still never could figure out why she was so scared of someone coming to hurt her and those she loved, but he trusted her a little bit at least. He knew she had some legitimate concerns, he just didn't know what they were.

They pretty much stopped discussing Jacob the few days he visited, but the morning Bella was driving him to the airport, he brought it up again. "So he'll fly in Sunday night, late. If I were you, I'd start calling then and ask him to meet you."

"Maybe I should wait until the end of the week, in case he's busy."

"Nope, no waiting. That leaves the potential for you chickening out. You just never know what might get in the way. Bells, I love you. You have a child now, so you know what I'm talking about. Don't disappoint me, because you know I will tell if you don't."

"I will. I swear. It's just, how many times can I ruin Jacob's life? He was better off never having met me."

"Ruin his life? How many times have you looked in Atticus's eyes and regretted him, wished he never existed?"

Her father's question physically made her heart hurt. That was the absolute opposite of any thought she'd every had about her son. She never regretted him or felt like he ruined her life, even before he was born, she loved him like crazy.

"I can tell what you're thinking. Jacob will feel that way as soon as he sees him. It's what happens when you become a parent."

As soon as she stopped in the drop off line, Bella hugged her dad, so hard she cut off his oxygen supply. She knew about the love he was talking about and she was again filled with so much guilt and regret about what she'd done to her parents. She had that crazy notion that they'd all be safer, better off without her. She swore she could cry just imagining Atticus getting angry with her the first time and saying a hateful word to her. She couldn't imagine the grief she put them through. She told her father as soon as she and Jacob had made some decisions, she wanted to see her mother.

"I think she would love that, but until then, why don't you call and set up something, maybe send her some pictures."

She promised she would. He kissed her and then opened up the back door to do the same to his grandson. Bella turned around, "Dad, can I ask you one quick question?"

"Sure."

"You thought Jacob, the minute you saw Atticus, didn't you?"

"Um, yeah, it's pretty obvious. He'll know immediately if that's what you were wondering. Billy's going to get so smug about those Black genes. I'll never hear the end of it, but don't you worry, Bells, he's got some Swan... the eyes, just like your friend pointed out. Love you guys." He shook Atticus's hand. "Make her behave, buddy."

Charlie backed out of the backseat and Bella yelled out how much loved and missed him already.

He stuck his head inside the window to say a few more parting words. "I think I'm going to see a lot of you two from here on out. I'll call when I land."

Bella tried to dissect what he meant by that. It eventually hit her as she exited the airport. He thought Jacob would take her back to Washington. Oh no, that wasn't possible. She had stacks of job prospects in other cities and by stacks, she meant three. Having Atticus delayed her career plans after graduation, but she was ready to start using her degree. She knew Jacob would want to be a part of his child's life, but she wasn't a home wrecker. She didn't know what plan they would devise, but she wasn't about to change her entire way of life. She didn't want to bring danger around the guys either, especially since they weren't even phasing.

She actually was still considering Alice's offer. Damn her for always trying to spy on her business. She found out fairly quickly she was pregnant when her visions started getting fuzzy. Alice showed up at the hospital the first time she got dehydrated during the pregnancy. Bella in a hospital bed was something she saw clearly. The whole thing had been a huge mess, especially when Edward called which she seriously hated. He lectured her about her carelessness and he had plenty to say about Jacob. That animosity still remained. He threatened to travel to Washington and pay him a visit to discuss his abandonment of Bella and their child.

She cursed at him with words he'd probably never heard in his proper, past century upbringing. They all tried to keep the news from Aro. Bella did her best by answering his messages when they came, but eventually he demanded a video chat. She was quite far along and he was already suspicious that no one was behaving normally. He kept in touch with the Cullens as well. She never understood how he figured it out, because she was careful to disguise her swollen abdomen.

Now Aro knew she had a son. He didn't know she had a shape-shifter's son. He was already way too excited about her child. Jacob calling him a pervy uncle almost seemed accurate now. He wanted to know if Edward had tested him yet. Her anger flared and her motherly instincts kicked in. There was nothing to test, he was a tiny baby and no one was going to experiment on him.

Aro tried to placate her. He insisted he might be a monster, but he was a civilized one. They had strict rules about children. He wouldn't harm "the wee one" as he called him. He still wanted to know if he could block Edward, because that meant her gift was genetic. His fascination had tripled. That's why the Cullens tended to think she and Atticus should reside near them. Bella thought about Barry and Monica. She didn't want to leave them, but she knew there was a big chance she'd to move for work anyway and even her friends were at risk being in her proximity. Nothing in her field was available in practically the entire state of California. She'd been checking for over six months.

Jacob was going to ask about the Cullens. He was going to ask about Aro too. That was a given as soon as he calmed down that she hid the pregnancy, birth and their son's first three months of life from him. He would naturally want to be the one to protect them, but the truth was he couldn't, at least, not like he wanted to. He didn't shift anymore. Maybe she should go live back to live with the Cullens, more like down the road, but then what would happen if Atticus grew up too close to vampires? She covered her head with the pillows. These scenarios ran through her head almost every night.

Jacob didn't forgive her before, he certainly wouldn't forgive her now. Bella listened to the smooth even breathing of her son in the crib next to her bed. She didn't know how she would've managed without Barry and Monica. They had hounded her since the beginning about telling Jake the truth, but her father would take it a step further. He was right, Jacob needed to know about his son and the truth was, Atticus needed him just as much.

~Thanks for reading.

Well? Hope you stick with me, because it's about to get angsty.