For: Laura
Prompt: A futuretake from Nightmare Before Christmas
A/N: Again, you don't really need to read Nightmare. Just know that before meeting Edward, Bella was in an abusive relationship with Mike.
"Down. Down, down, down, down."
Bella laughed, watching her almost two-year-old daughter's chubby legs kick from her seat in the shopping cart. "Okay, Emilia. Calm down. I'll put you down, but you have to stay right by me. Okay?"
Of course, the baby nodded her solemn promise. And, of course, almost the second she was free, Emilia took off. "Emi!"
Bella heard him before she saw him. She was turning the corner when she heard his voice.
"Well, aren't you a pretty girl?"
Her blood ran cold. She jolted forward, grabbing Emilia up into her arms just before Mike could touch her.
Even Forks was supposed to be safe now. Mike's family had moved away the year before. She had assumed he'd gone with them. It was why, even though the market made her nervous-this was where it had started with Mike-she had volunteered to get groceries. Edward was helping charlie pack. Her father had finally decided he wanted to be closer to her and his grandbaby.
Apparently, his parents had left him behind. Apparently, he was working at the market adjacent next to the shop he used to run for his parents.
"Bella." He was as surprised to see her as she was to see him and about as pleased. He huffed. "Color me surprised. Don't you know better than to let a baby run off by herself? Responsible as always."
Bella's heart was pounding hard against her chest, painfully hard. Somehow, though, she had room in her panicky thoughts for indignance. "I didn't-"
No. She didn't owe this asshole any explanations.
"Mommy, down," Emilia insisted, pushing at Bella. Her daughter was the antithesis of shy, and she probably wanted to jabber at Mike.
"We're leaving, baby." Bella turned around, intent on walking out of that market without looking back.
She hadn't taken two steps before Mike grabbed her arm. "Hey, don't run off so quick. Overreacting as always."
Bella's first reaction was stark fear and revulsion. She pulled out of his grasp with a gasp. Her fight or flight reflex was in overdrive, her body poised to run.
But the fight in her was far from silent. Oh, no. She had been through too much to play the victim again. Never again. Especially not to him.
Bella tightened her arm around her daughter and whirled to face Mike. she stepped up to him, right in his bubble space, and pressed forward onto the balls of her feet so she was right in his face. Despite the fact she was desperately afraid, she knew her scowl was fierce. Her stance was intimidating. She saw his eyes widen, and he moved his head back as though he was startled by the confrontation.
Of course. Bullies always were.
"Don't touch me." Her words didn't shake, didn't waver at all. "Don't talk to me. Don't even look at my daughter. You do any of those things, and I promise you, you won't like what happens next."
She pinned him with her stare for two more seconds, then she turned and strode out of the market with her daughter safe in her arms and her head held high.
A/N: I want to do a full future take like this at some point. Sigh. Me and my intentions.