A Daughter's Gift (She's Mine to Protect Sequel)

Dinner and Arguments

      Bella Baker was sitting on her grandfather's lap while the family ate their dinner with moderate conversation. Like they did every Sunday night, her family was eating dinner next door at her grandparent's house. With all the kids in the family, the table had become too small to be able to fit enough chairs around it, so Bella, being the smallest who didn't still need a high chair, often sat on the lap of either her father or grandfather. She didn't mind it though, often saying it gave her something comfier to sit on than the hard old chairs. If there was one thing to be said about Bella, it was that she was extremely agreeable about most things. Tonight, however, she wasn't showing any of sign of not minding the situation she was in. On the contrary, her face was set in a pout and she was poking her food with her fork more than she was eating it. Sitting across from her, in between discussing his work day, her father was making faces at her in an attempt to make her laugh, which wasn't having any effect whatsoever.

"Bella, eat your dinner, Honey." Her mother told her. Around the table the eyes of her grandparents, Jack and Marguerite, and her parents, Lucas and Chrys, all exchanged looks of frustration and worry. At the same time, Bella's brothers and sister were finishing their own plates of food so they could return to playing their video games; even her one year old brother Evan had inhaled his bowl of mashed carrots in record time.

"I don't like it." Bella complained and then twisted herself to hide her face in Jack's chest. The four adults at the table stared at her with growing frustration. It was common knowledge amongst them that Bella was fussy when it came to food, specifically onions, but Marguerite had hoped her granddaughter wouldn't have been able to taste it in the casserole she made. It turns out she was very wrong about that. They were number one on the list of things the little girl wasn't agreeable about.

"Bella, stop being ridiculous an' just eat your food." Her father scolded her in an unusual voice for talking to his precious baby girl. It was just one example of how Lucas was becoming more and more like his father everyday, something which did not go unnoticed by his wife, mother, and sister, Zoe.

"No!" Bella cried in a muffled scream and grabbed onto the strong fabric of her grandfather's new green golf shirt. Jack tried to pull her face away from him, but she held on tight with a surprisingly strong grip for a girl her age.

"You can either let go of me and eat your supper or I'll make you." Jack warned which immediately made Lucas and Chrys nervous. They both were afraid of what Jack might do if he became angry enough at her. He would never hurt his grandchildren physically, but he also had a habit of not thinking out thoroughly what he should say whenever he was angry.

"I don't like the onions, they're gross!" The little girl screamed, now looking up at him. In the future, when thinking back on what was about to happen, Bella never again complained about any food that was put in front of her.

"Now listen here little girl, your grandmother worked hard to cook this casserole and you're gonna damn well eat it! I don't give a rat's ass if there are onions in it!"

By this point everyone in the room was shaken and nervous about what would happen next. Even Thorin, Kili, Tobias and Celes, who had retreated to the living room, stopped what they were doing in fear of making noise. Finally, Lucas, who's own anger was starting to boil up, found the courage to speak up.

"Alright Dad, maybe you should calm down a bit." He said through gritted teeth. Jack looked up at his son and shot him a dangerous look.

"Well maybe you should have raised her better so that she respects the things that people do for her!" The old man bellowed across the table at Lucas, who was now getting visibly frustrated with his father. After hearing what her grandfather said about her, Bella began to cry and frantically try to get away from him, but he had a firm grip on her right arm.