A/N: Okay, so this story is a little different to normal. I admitt, it's not a very likely scenario, but it is possible. Anything is possible in our imagination! You've just got to open your mind. Anyway. This chapter isn't that interesting, it's just the start. The fun starts in the next chapter, I promise. We also have no experience of how this would happen, so this is probably unrealistic of how she ends up with Pete and Addison, but doing it all correctly and making them go through the procedures would have just taken the fun out of it! We do apologise that that side of this story is unrealistic. Social services are oly involved for about three chapters anyway. Enough of me, now for you to read! As always, reviews are veyer much appreciated :)
Pete stood up from the couch and made his way to the front door as the sound of the doorbell echoed throughout the house. He pulled the door open to reveal a woman in a suit stood on his doorstep.
"Hi." He looked down at her with a slightly confused look on his face. "Can I help you?"
"I'm Susan Whitefield. I'm a social worker. Are you Mr. Wilder?" She pushed her glasses up her nose and straightened up.
"Yeah." Pete nodded. "I am."
"Can I come in?"
"Yeah, of course." He opened the door wider so she could step into the house.
They made their way into the living room and sat down. "Do you remember a Miss Anna Wester?" Susan asked once they were seated.
Pete knitted his eyebrow in confusion and nodded. "I, yeah, I do."
"Good." The social worker nodded. "Were you aware she had a daughter?"
"No." He shook his head. "I haven't seen or heard from her in over ten years."
"Miss. Wester died the other night in a car accident. Her parents are too old to look after her ten year old daughter." Susan Whitefield looked at Pete.
"She's dead?" His face fell. "I'm really sorry to hear that but why are you telling me this?"
"You are listed as her daughter's father. It's stated that you are to have custody of Abigail now that Miss. Wester has passed away."
"I...I'm what?" Pete looked at her shocked. "I'm listed as her father?"
"Your name is on her birth certificate as her father and Miss. Wester has stated that you are to have custody only if her parents are incapable of looking after her daughter, which they are."
"If my name is on her birth certificate then why has no one ever told me about her?"
"I'm sorry, Mr. Wilder, that's not something I'm able to answer. I'm only here to deal with who will take care of Abigail." Susan pushed her glasses up her nose again as she looked at him. "Are you willing to take custody?"
"I've never even met her." Pete looked back at the social worker.
"Then Abigail will be put into the care of foster parents." Susan nodded.
"What? No." Pete quickly shook his head at her.
"I understand this must be difficult, Mr. Wilder, but we need an answer soon so if we need to find her a foster family, we find one quickly."
"No, I...I'll do it." He looked at the woman. "I'll take custody."
"Good." She smiled. "It's nice when children stay in the family. It's better for them. I just need you to sign a few forms." She opened her briefcase and got out forms for him to sign. Pete signed everywhere she needed him to before he handed the forms back to her.
"I'll be back tomorrow morning and I'll bring Abigail with me."
Pete looked at her and nodded slightly. "Okay."
"You will need to have meetings with her grandparents to get to know the routine that she was in and find out if they have any wishes for her."
"Okay." He nodded again. "I'll do that."
"That's great." Susan smiled as she gathered the forms back up and placed them in her briefcase. Pete nodded and watched her before they both got up from the couch. "I shall see you tomorrow morning, Mr. Wilder." Susan held her hand out to shake Pete's.
"Yeah." He nodded once more and gave a polite smile as he shook her hand. She left the house and left Pete alone with his thoughts of his daughter he never knew he had.
When Pete heard a key turn in the lock a few hours later he had just finished setting up the table for dinner.
"I'm home," Addison called as she walked into the hallway. She slid her shoes off her aching feet and placed her bag down on the side before she padded into the kitchen. "Hey." She smiled softly.
"Hey." He looked at her as he took the noodles from the stove.
"I've missed you today." She wrapped her arms around his waist from behind and kissed his shoulder.
"I've missed you too." Pete gave a small smile and placed his hand on her arm.
"Hmm, dinner smells lovely." She smiled and peered over his shoulder.
"Doesn't it always?" He finished the sauce before he took it off the stove as well and turned it off.
"Of course. Had a good day?" she asked as she pulled away and got herself a glass of water.
"It was alright." Pete carried the food to the table. "Did you?"
"Busy. I had to perform an emergency c-section. Both mother and baby are fine, though." She smiled softly as they both sat down at the table.
"That's great."
"So glad it's the weekend and we can just sleep." Addison twirled some noodles around her fork before she took a bite.
Pete gave a small sigh as he glanced down at his food. "Actually, there's something we need to talk about."
"What's wrong?" She frowned as she caught sight of his face.
"A social worker was here this afternoon." Pete looked at her.
"A social worker?" Her frown deepened. "Why was a social worker here?"
Pete took a deep breath before he continued. "Do you remember Anna? I'm sure I've mentioned her before. We used to go out years ago."
"Possibly. I'm not sure. What has she got to do with a social worker, though?" Addison put her fork down and looked at her fiancée.
"She died in a car crash a couple of days ago." Pete looked back at her. "And she had a daughter. She's ten and she's mine and Anna listed me as the person to get custody when she dies."
"Wh-what?" Addison looked at him in shock.
"I know." He looked at her. "I know it's a lot, and believe me I feel the same way."
"You…you have a daughter?" Addison leaned back and ran a hand through her hair. "Oh my god," she whispered.
"I had no idea."
"But…but we were supposed to have a family."
"We can still have a family."
"You have a daughter," Addison spoke quietly and looked at him.
"I know." Pete looked back at her and gave a small sigh.
"What are we going to do?" she asked.
"I can't let them give her to some foster family."
"So, you're going to have custody?" Addison nodded slowly.
"Yeah." Pete nodded as well.
"She'll live here with us then."
"They'll bring her here tomorrow."
"Okay." Addison nodded and took a deep breath. "How old is she?"
"She's ten."
"What's her name?"
"Abigail."
"Okay." She nodded again.
"I'm sorry, Addi." Pete reached for her hand and covered it with his.
"It's not your fault," she spoke quietly and shook her head. "You didn't know. I know that if you had she would have been in our lives long ago. Maybe it would have been easier then."
"I know it's a lot to wrap your head around." He looked at her. "And I know it's scary. I'm scared too, but I need you, Addi."
"You said she's coming tomorrow morning?" Addison looked up at Pete.
"Yeah."
"We should get the guest room ready then. What would she like?"
"I don't know." He shook his head. "What do ten year old girls like?"
"I wasn't a normal ten year old girl. I have no idea what she'd want." Addison squeezed his hand.
Pete nodded and gave a small sigh. "I'll guess we'll just have to wait for her to get here then."
"Yeah." Addison nodded as well. "I'm not so hungry anymore."
"Okay."
"We'll be okay, won't we?" She looked at him with a scared look on her face.
"We will." Pete nodded.
"I love you, Pete."
"I love you too." Pete looked at her. "So, so much." Addison gave a smile and reached out for his other hand. "Thank you for doing this with me," he spoke quietly as they held hands.
"We're engaged. Of course I'm going to do this with you."
"I know, but not everyone would do that."
"I love you and I want to be with you. Instead of it being just us, there'll be three of us now. We just have to adapt."
Pete looked at her and a soft smile tugged on his lips. "I love you."
"And I love you, so much."
He leaned forward and kept hold of her hands as he placed a tender kiss on her lips. Addison closed her eyes and softly kissed him back. "You're so amazing," he whispered, quietly.
"I'm not." She smiled softly.
"You really are." Pete nodded.
"No." Addison shook her head.
"Yes and now shush." He kissed her again. She laughed softly and kissed him back. Pete smiled against her lips and gave her hands a soft squeeze. She slowly pulled back and rested her forehead against his.
"We can do this together."
"So long as we're together we can do anything," she whispered.
"We can," he agreed and placed a soft kiss on her forehead. Addison smiled and looked into Pete's eyes as they pulled back. "Let's clean this away and then take a bath together."
"I like that idea."
Pete smiled softly and kissed her one more time before they got up and began to clean the kitchen together.