Snapshots of Our Life - Chapter 14
Title/Chapter: Snapshots of Our Life (14/?)
Author: amanda: jaclyn’s twin sister / writefiction
Fandom: Tommy Joe Ratliff
Pairing: Tommy Joe Ratliff / OFC: Bella Connor
Rating: G
Notes: written for schmoop_bingo. My card can be found HERE.
Bingo Square: pets
Warning: cute kitty
Other Notes: As stated before, Cam is a guy in this because, for some reason, I didn’t know she was a girl when I first started writing it o.O
Word Count: 1,339
Previous Chapters
Summary: Snapshots of the life Tommy & Bella build together.
@flamingo_punk - personal twitter
@writefiction - fic twitter
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Bella stuck the key in to the lock at the town house where she had lived with her father until she decided to stay with Tommy. She turned the key and opened the door. “Papa?” she called out.
“Kitchen!” her father replied. A wide grin split Bella’s face as she tugged Tommy along behind her towards the kitchen. The trio met half way and Bella threw her arms around her father’s neck.
“Papa!”
“Bella Bear!” Bart said happily, hugging his daughter tightly. “Happy birthday, bear cub.” He kissed the top of her head and then held her at arm’s length. “Let me get a look at you.” Bella blushed as her father took her in. “Please tell me that that’s mostly coat puffing you up.”
Bella laughed and finally shed her winter coat, showing off her enormous belly. “Sorry, Pop, but these babies are killing my waist line.”
“Oh my goodness,” Bart murmured. “Look at that baby bump! It’s not a bump anymore!” He flattened his hand over his daughter’s round belly. “I still can’t believe I’m going to be a grandfather.” He shook his head at the wonder of it all.
All this time, Tommy had been standing quietly behind Bella, waiting patiently to be introduced to the man that would some day be his father-in-law. “Papa,” Bella said quietly. “I want you to meet someone.” She reached back and took hold of Tommy’s hand, pulling him up to stand beside her. “Papa, this is Tommy Joe Ratliff. Tommy, this is my dad, Bartholomew Connor.” The two men shook hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Connor,” Tommy spoke politely.
Bart raised an eyebrow. “Nice, he’s got manners,” he said to Bella, who just rolled her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you too, Tommy, but please, call me Bart.”
Tommy nodded. “Yes, sir. Er… I mean, Bart.” Bart chuckled quietly.
“Well, come on in, you two. Take off your boots, hang up your coats, lets have a seat in the living room,” he told them. Bella led Tommy over to the hall closet where she handed him two hangers and slipped her boots off, Tommy doing the same before hanging up their coats. Then Bella took Tommy by the hand as they went in to the living room.
Once the couple had settled on the couch, a big orange and tiger-striped cat jumped in to Bella’s lap. Normally she would have loved this, but at the moment she seemed fearful. “Uh, Pa, did you have Ollie tested?” she asked, holding her hands up away from the cat.
“Yes, I did. Don’t worry,” Bart told her. “He isn’t a carrier but the vet suggests you still don’t clean the litter box. Now give that cat some love, he’s been missing you.” Bella grinned and cuddled the purebred toyger cat to her. The cat purred loudly in response to the affection.
“How’s my baby boy?” Bella asked the cat, scratching at his chin. His only answer to that was to close his eyes in pleasure and purr a little louder.
“Um, why were you so freaked when Ollie got in your lap?” Tommy asked, reaching over to pet the cat’s head.
“Because, cats can have this bacteria or disease or whatever that can transfer to a pregnant woman’s fetus and kill it,” Bella explained. “If a cat is a carrier, you shouldn’t even live with that cat until after the baby is born. But even if it’s not a carrier, you shouldn’t go digging around in the litter box because that’s how you catch it.”
“Seriously?” Tommy asked. Bella nodded. “Okay, good to know.”
Bart came in the room and placed a glass of ice cold Pepsi in front of Bella. “Caffeine free?” she asked.
Bart nodded. “Of course.” Then he turned to Tommy. “Can I get you something to drink? We have water, juice, coffee, Pepsi…”
Tommy smiled. “Water’s good.” With a nod, Bart went back to the kitchen. Tommy turned to his girlfriend. “Do you think he likes me?” he asked.
Bella giggled quietly. “Tommy, he’s just met you. But I think you gave a good first impression,” she told him.
“You think so?” he asked, nervously chewing his lower lip.
Bella reached up to stroke a hand through his hair. “Yes, I really do. Trust me, just be yourself and my dad will love you. He’s an easy-going guy, he’s really not that scary.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t knock up his daughter the first day you met her,” Tommy said quietly.
Bella rolled her eyes. “Babe, firstly, don’t use the term ‘knock up’ and secondly, my dad is over that. He’s just happy to be getting grandbabies from me, okay?” Tommy nodded just as Bart came back in the room and handed him a bottle of water and a glass filled with ice.
“Thanks,” Tommy murmured.
“You’re welcome,” Bart replied, sitting down in his recliner.
“So, Pop, when are JD and Cherry supposed to get here?” Bella asked sipping at her drink. She could see Tommy worrying the corner of his lip with his teeth from the corner of her eye. She reached over to take his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed back and tried to relax.
“Any moment now,” Bart answered. While they waited for the girls to show, Bella’s father gave Tommy the third degree. Tommy answered all his questions with the utmost politeness and manners. This impressed Bart to no end. By the time Bella’s friends arrived, Tommy was relaxed and even joking around with Bart. It made Bella’s heart swell with love for the two most important men in her life.
When the door bell rang, Bart got up to answer it. A moment later he was back with JD and Cherry in two. Bella got up from the couch as fast as her pregnant body would allow and met her friends half way.
“Happy birthday!” they told her excitedly, each of them giving her a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you guys are here!” Bella replied. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”
“Aw, we’ve missed you too,” Cherry said with a smile and JD nodded in agreement. Then the three took up seats around the living room as they waited for their meal to finish cooking. Ollie the toyger cat made the rounds, first stopping at Cherry to purr and rub against her legs. Cherry grinned and reached down to scratch his ears. “Hey, Ollie-kins,” she murmured. Ollie meowed in response then made his way over to JD.
The fifteen pound feline jumped up on to JD’s lap and rubbed the top of his head against her chin. “Ollie!” Bella exclaimed. “You know better than that!”
JD chuckled. “Bella, it’s okay. He’s not hurting anyone.”
“You’re allergic,” Bella replied. “And I bet you didn’t even take your allergy meds.”
JD smiled sheepishly. “Guilty as charged.” Bella shooed Ollie off of JD’s lap with a scowl.
“Why do you always do this?” she asked. “You know you’re highly allergic to cats, yet every time you see Ollie you’re all up on him, playing with him and petting him.”
“Can’t help it,” JD told her. “It’s that whole wanting what you can’t have thing.” Bella rolled her eyes playfully.
“You’re a dork, you know that?”
“So are you!” JD and Cherry replied in unison, making the men in the room laugh.
Bella pouted. “So? It’s my birthday. I can be a dork if I want.”
Tommy wrapped an arm around Bella’s shoulders and kissed her temple. “Aw, babe, but your dorkiness is why we love you,” he told her. Bella stuck her tongue out at him which only made him chuckle and shake his head.
Bella turned to her father then. “Is dinner almost ready? I’m eating for three now you know.”
Bart grinned. “It’ll be another twenty minutes or so. Think you can wait that long?”
“I don’t think it really matters if I can since I’d like my food to be cooked when I eat it,” Bella replied.
Author: amanda: jaclyn’s twin sister / writefiction
Fandom: Tommy Joe Ratliff
Pairing: Tommy Joe Ratliff / OFC: Bella Connor
Rating: G
Notes: written for schmoop_bingo. My card can be found HERE.
Bingo Square: pets
Warning: cute kitty
Other Notes: As stated before, Cam is a guy in this because, for some reason, I didn’t know she was a girl when I first started writing it o.O
Word Count: 1,339
Previous Chapters
Summary: Snapshots of the life Tommy & Bella build together.
@flamingo_punk - personal twitter
@writefiction - fic twitter
CHAPTER FOURTEEN
Bella stuck the key in to the lock at the town house where she had lived with her father until she decided to stay with Tommy. She turned the key and opened the door. “Papa?” she called out.
“Kitchen!” her father replied. A wide grin split Bella’s face as she tugged Tommy along behind her towards the kitchen. The trio met half way and Bella threw her arms around her father’s neck.
“Papa!”
“Bella Bear!” Bart said happily, hugging his daughter tightly. “Happy birthday, bear cub.” He kissed the top of her head and then held her at arm’s length. “Let me get a look at you.” Bella blushed as her father took her in. “Please tell me that that’s mostly coat puffing you up.”
Bella laughed and finally shed her winter coat, showing off her enormous belly. “Sorry, Pop, but these babies are killing my waist line.”
“Oh my goodness,” Bart murmured. “Look at that baby bump! It’s not a bump anymore!” He flattened his hand over his daughter’s round belly. “I still can’t believe I’m going to be a grandfather.” He shook his head at the wonder of it all.
All this time, Tommy had been standing quietly behind Bella, waiting patiently to be introduced to the man that would some day be his father-in-law. “Papa,” Bella said quietly. “I want you to meet someone.” She reached back and took hold of Tommy’s hand, pulling him up to stand beside her. “Papa, this is Tommy Joe Ratliff. Tommy, this is my dad, Bartholomew Connor.” The two men shook hands.
“It’s nice to meet you, Mr. Connor,” Tommy spoke politely.
Bart raised an eyebrow. “Nice, he’s got manners,” he said to Bella, who just rolled her eyes. “It’s nice to meet you too, Tommy, but please, call me Bart.”
Tommy nodded. “Yes, sir. Er… I mean, Bart.” Bart chuckled quietly.
“Well, come on in, you two. Take off your boots, hang up your coats, lets have a seat in the living room,” he told them. Bella led Tommy over to the hall closet where she handed him two hangers and slipped her boots off, Tommy doing the same before hanging up their coats. Then Bella took Tommy by the hand as they went in to the living room.
Once the couple had settled on the couch, a big orange and tiger-striped cat jumped in to Bella’s lap. Normally she would have loved this, but at the moment she seemed fearful. “Uh, Pa, did you have Ollie tested?” she asked, holding her hands up away from the cat.
“Yes, I did. Don’t worry,” Bart told her. “He isn’t a carrier but the vet suggests you still don’t clean the litter box. Now give that cat some love, he’s been missing you.” Bella grinned and cuddled the purebred toyger cat to her. The cat purred loudly in response to the affection.
“How’s my baby boy?” Bella asked the cat, scratching at his chin. His only answer to that was to close his eyes in pleasure and purr a little louder.
“Um, why were you so freaked when Ollie got in your lap?” Tommy asked, reaching over to pet the cat’s head.
“Because, cats can have this bacteria or disease or whatever that can transfer to a pregnant woman’s fetus and kill it,” Bella explained. “If a cat is a carrier, you shouldn’t even live with that cat until after the baby is born. But even if it’s not a carrier, you shouldn’t go digging around in the litter box because that’s how you catch it.”
“Seriously?” Tommy asked. Bella nodded. “Okay, good to know.”
Bart came in the room and placed a glass of ice cold Pepsi in front of Bella. “Caffeine free?” she asked.
Bart nodded. “Of course.” Then he turned to Tommy. “Can I get you something to drink? We have water, juice, coffee, Pepsi…”
Tommy smiled. “Water’s good.” With a nod, Bart went back to the kitchen. Tommy turned to his girlfriend. “Do you think he likes me?” he asked.
Bella giggled quietly. “Tommy, he’s just met you. But I think you gave a good first impression,” she told him.
“You think so?” he asked, nervously chewing his lower lip.
Bella reached up to stroke a hand through his hair. “Yes, I really do. Trust me, just be yourself and my dad will love you. He’s an easy-going guy, he’s really not that scary.”
“Yeah, but you didn’t knock up his daughter the first day you met her,” Tommy said quietly.
Bella rolled her eyes. “Babe, firstly, don’t use the term ‘knock up’ and secondly, my dad is over that. He’s just happy to be getting grandbabies from me, okay?” Tommy nodded just as Bart came back in the room and handed him a bottle of water and a glass filled with ice.
“Thanks,” Tommy murmured.
“You’re welcome,” Bart replied, sitting down in his recliner.
“So, Pop, when are JD and Cherry supposed to get here?” Bella asked sipping at her drink. She could see Tommy worrying the corner of his lip with his teeth from the corner of her eye. She reached over to take his hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze. He squeezed back and tried to relax.
“Any moment now,” Bart answered. While they waited for the girls to show, Bella’s father gave Tommy the third degree. Tommy answered all his questions with the utmost politeness and manners. This impressed Bart to no end. By the time Bella’s friends arrived, Tommy was relaxed and even joking around with Bart. It made Bella’s heart swell with love for the two most important men in her life.
When the door bell rang, Bart got up to answer it. A moment later he was back with JD and Cherry in two. Bella got up from the couch as fast as her pregnant body would allow and met her friends half way.
“Happy birthday!” they told her excitedly, each of them giving her a tight hug.
“I’m so glad you guys are here!” Bella replied. “I’ve missed you guys so much.”
“Aw, we’ve missed you too,” Cherry said with a smile and JD nodded in agreement. Then the three took up seats around the living room as they waited for their meal to finish cooking. Ollie the toyger cat made the rounds, first stopping at Cherry to purr and rub against her legs. Cherry grinned and reached down to scratch his ears. “Hey, Ollie-kins,” she murmured. Ollie meowed in response then made his way over to JD.
The fifteen pound feline jumped up on to JD’s lap and rubbed the top of his head against her chin. “Ollie!” Bella exclaimed. “You know better than that!”
JD chuckled. “Bella, it’s okay. He’s not hurting anyone.”
“You’re allergic,” Bella replied. “And I bet you didn’t even take your allergy meds.”
JD smiled sheepishly. “Guilty as charged.” Bella shooed Ollie off of JD’s lap with a scowl.
“Why do you always do this?” she asked. “You know you’re highly allergic to cats, yet every time you see Ollie you’re all up on him, playing with him and petting him.”
“Can’t help it,” JD told her. “It’s that whole wanting what you can’t have thing.” Bella rolled her eyes playfully.
“You’re a dork, you know that?”
“So are you!” JD and Cherry replied in unison, making the men in the room laugh.
Bella pouted. “So? It’s my birthday. I can be a dork if I want.”
Tommy wrapped an arm around Bella’s shoulders and kissed her temple. “Aw, babe, but your dorkiness is why we love you,” he told her. Bella stuck her tongue out at him which only made him chuckle and shake his head.
Bella turned to her father then. “Is dinner almost ready? I’m eating for three now you know.”
Bart grinned. “It’ll be another twenty minutes or so. Think you can wait that long?”
“I don’t think it really matters if I can since I’d like my food to be cooked when I eat it,” Bella replied.