Darling Nikki ↠ Charlie Swan

chapter six

chapter six ~ charlie's gift

Nikki couldn't help but wrinkle her nose in distaste as Emily brought up the idea of a baby shower. The very thought of it filled her with a sense of unease and discomfort.

"A baby shower?" she asked, pausing mid-bite. "Are you kidding me?" The words came out more brusquely than she intended, but Nikki couldn't help it - this was not something she was at all interested in participating in.

Emily seemed baffled by Nikki's reaction, insisting that lots of people have them and that she should be just as eager to celebrate the impending arrival of her child. But Nikki quickly reminded her friend that she was far from like a lot of people.

There was simply too much going on in her life right now to worry about planning some elaborate party, no matter how well-intentioned. "Plus there's a lot going on right now. There's no time for a baby shower," she said firmly, hoping Emily would just drop the subject.

Of course, Emily being Emily, she refused to take the hint. "Come on, don't be like that," she pleaded, clearly determined to have her way. Nikki couldn't help but roll her eyes at her persistence. It was just so typical of Emily to bulldoze right over any of Nikki's objections.

Emily went on to explain that it wouldn't even be a big affair - just the other imprints, along with Sue and Leah. But Nikki knew that was hardly the point.

As Leah rightly pointed out, Nikki didn't exactly have a wealth of close friends to begin with. The idea of being the center of attention at some sort of baby-themed celebration, surrounded by people she barely knew, was enough to make her skin crawl.

"You keep forgetting that Nikki doesn't have friends, Emily, so she isn't comfortable with something like that because baby showers are about celebrating the arrival of a baby with loved ones," Leah said bluntly.

Nikki couldn't help but smile gratefully at Leah for so eloquently voicing the root of her discomfort. At least someone understood.

But of course, Emily remained undeterred. "I'm still throwing you a baby shower," she declared firmly, her tone leaving no room for argument. Nikki felt a surge of frustration - couldn't Emily just respect her wishes for once? She hissed in annoyance and turned on her heel, stalking out of the house with Leah glaring daggers at Emily in her wake.

"You're an idiot," Leah muttered, shaking her head as she hurried after Nikki. "Nikki, stop walking!" she called out, quickly catching up to Nikki.

Nikki complied, turning to face Leah, and that's when the older girl noticed the tears glistening in Nikki's eyes.

"What's wrong?" Leah asked gently, her expression shifting from irritation to concern. Nikki's voice wavered as she confessed, "I miss them." Leah let out a heavy sigh, pulling Nikki into a comforting embrace as the girl's tears began to flow more freely.

"I miss my dad every day too," Leah murmured, rubbing Nikki's back soothingly. "You know I was a daddy's girl, and I know I would be upset too about him not being here for important things like this." Nikki nodded against Leah's shoulder, her body shaking with quiet sobs. "I miss him, my mom, my whole family - even my crazy granny," she choked out.

Leah's heart ached for Nikki. She knew all too well the pain of losing a parent, and she couldn't even begin to imagine how much harder it must be for Nikki, who had lost her entire family in one devastating blow. "You don't have to show up to the baby shower," Leah assured her. "It's not like Emily can force you."

But Nikki shook her head, sniffling. "But she'll make Sam drag me there," she lamented. Leah couldn't help but chuckle at that. "You're a powerful nymph, you can just use your powers on him, Nikki," she pointed out, earning a watery giggle from her cousin.

"Yeah, I could," Nikki agreed, a hint of a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. Leah grinned, relieved to see a glimmer of Nikki's usual spirit shining through. "Okay, now let's go to your house," she said, steering Nikki gently in that direction.

Nikki nodded and dug her car keys out of her pocket, handing them over to Leah. Leah blinked in surprise. "You're letting me drive your car?" she asked, her eyebrows raised.

"And letting you keep it since Charlie declares it not safe for the baby to be in," Nikki replied, a hint of amusement in her tone. Leah couldn't help but roll her eyes. "Men," she muttered, a fond smile spreading across her face as she gazed down at the keys. "Thank you," she added sincerely.

"You're welcome," Nikki said, climbing into the passenger seat as Leah slid behind the wheel, eager to take Nikki's prized possession for a spin.

Meanwhile, back at Emily's house, Emily was growing increasingly frustrated. She had put so much time and effort into planning the perfect baby shower for Nikki, and now the stubborn nymph was refusing to cooperate.

Determined to get her way, Emily sent Sam off to enlist the help of Charlie, hoping the chief of police could convince Nikki to at least give the shower a chance.

But Charlie was having none of it. "Sam, no," he said firmly when Sam arrived at his doorstep. Sam tried to plead his case, insisting that "Emily worked hard to put together this baby shower for Nikki," but Charlie was unmoved.

"After, Nikki repeatedly told her, she didn't want one," the chief pointed out, his brow furrowed in disapproval. Sam's face fell as the realization dawned on him. "I didn't know that," he admitted sheepishly.

Charlie sighed, shaking his head. "Well, now you do. Sam, Emily needs to understand boundaries. Nikki doesn't want a baby shower because her whole family is dead. How can you celebrate bringing a life into this world without family? Now I know we are her family now, but we can't replace them," he said, his voice tinged with empathy.

Sam nodded, his expression somber. "I know, I'll talk to Emily," he promised. Charlie offered him a small smile. "Thank you, Sam. Now go upstairs and spend time with Nikki - she wants you to rearrange the nursery again," he added, a mischievous glint in his eye.

Sam groaned, but headed upstairs without further protest. He knew better than to argue with the chief of police, especially when it came to Nikki.

Later that day, Nikki and Charlie found their way to the Cullen house, where the vampires were busy training Bella's gift.

Nikki couldn't help but roll her eyes as she watched the scene unfold, with Charlie standing by her side. "Do you think I have a gift?" the chief asked her suddenly.

Nikki turned to him, a smirk playing on her lips. "Yes, you do. Bella inherited her power from you. You're capable of warding off mental powers, though your blockage is very rudimentary and undeveloped compared to Bella's," Eleazar chimed in, offering Charlie a warm smile.

The chief's face lit up with pride, and Jacob couldn't resist a chuckle. "Like father, like daughter," he remarked.

Even Edward, who had always found Charlie's mind frustratingly difficult to read, nodded in agreement. "I always found myself unable to fully read Charlie's mind, but I dismissed it very quickly, believing that he was just slow on the mind," the vampire admitted.

Eleazar elaborated further, explaining that Charlie's gift also included the ability to make others feel both physically and mentally dismissive of him, as well as a unique tracking ability.

Bella stared at her father with undisguised pride, and Nikki couldn't help but feel a twinge of envy. She wished her own father could be here to share in this moment, to see the incredible gifts his daughter had inherited.

As Esme mused aloud about the possibility of Charlie becoming a vampire, Nikki couldn't help but smirk. "I guess that's why he's the chief," she quipped, earning a chuckle from the gathered group.

But when the vampire matriarch suggested that Charlie would make a great vampire, the chief was quick to shut down the idea. "Not happening," he said firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Nikki couldn't help but feel a surge of affection for the man. Charlie was carving out a special place in her heart.

As she stood there, surrounded by this odd assortment of supernatural beings, Nikki couldn't help but feel a glimmer of hope that maybe, just maybe, she could find a sense of family and belonging in this new life of hers.