Don't Take the Girl

by Butterfly Betty

Edward's father was taking him fishing, when he was eight years old. Well, you know how the story goes . . . Entry for The Era's Contest E/B

Title: Don't Take the Girl
Name: Butterfly Betty
Facebook Name: Lisa Bilbrey
Beta(s): Sunflower Fran
Summary: Edward's father was taking him fishing, when he was eight years old. Well, you know how the story goes . . .

Disclaimer: The author does not own any publicly recognizable characters herein. No copyright infringement is intended.

"Edward! Edward, son, hurry up!"

Eight-year-old Edward Cullen rolled his green eyes as he rushed out of the garage with the tackle box his PopPop had given him for Christmas. His navy blue fishing hat started to slide off his head, and he dropped the tackle box and slapped it back on his head with an aggravated huff. Picking up the box again, he turned the corner to the front of the house, stopping in his tracks when he saw her.

The little brown-haired girl with dark eyes and freckles sprinkled across her rosy red cheeks smiled; the gap where her front teeth should have been was showing. She'd been embarrassed when she lost them, and Mike Newton had teased her and called her 'gap tooth,' but Edward told him to shut up and leave her alone. Ever since then, Bella Swan had been following him around.

Bella Swan had lived next door to Edward since they were born, and while they were friends, she was a girl, and he only played with boys.

"Dad! No!"

"Edward, son, come on," Carlisle said, walking over and kneeling in front of him. "Her dad has to work, and he needs us to take care of her."

"She can stay here with Mom!"

Bella started whining, "I don't want to stay here! I want to go fishing with you!"

Carlisle sighed, looking over his shoulder at the little brown-haired girl with big brown eyes. Her momma had gone to heaven last year, his father had told him. Late one night, red and white flashing lights woke Edward up, and he stood in the window of his bedroom and watched as two men rolled the stretcher out, the black bag on top. Her dad stood on the porch, holding little brown-haired Bella Swan as she cried and screamed, "Mommy! Mommy!"

Edward hadn't understood why she was crying and screaming for her mommy, not until his father came into his room. He knelt down next to him and told him how Mrs. Swan had passed away, that she had been sick for a long time, and now she'd gone to heaven. Edward wondered what kind of mother would leave their daughter like that. Didn't Mrs. Swan know Bella needed her?

"Take Emmett McCarty. Take Jacob Black. Take my best friend, Jasper, Dad. Take anybody you want to, as long as she don't go. Take any boy in the world. Daddy, please don't take the girl."

Carlisle smiled and placed his hands on his shoulders. "Son, I know you don't want her to go, but someday, you'll change your mind."

—O—

"Edward, Edward, son, you're going to be late."

"No, I'm not," Edward muttered, hurrying downstairs.

He slid to a stop next to the small, wooden table next to the front door and picked up his wallet, but when he reached for his keys, they weren't in the bowl, where he knew he had dropped them when he got home from school.

"Where the hell are my keys?"

"Looking for these?"

Edward looked over his shoulder at his father, leaning against the wall separating the living and the dining room. His blond hair had turned more silver in the last ten years, though, at this moment, his green eyes sparkled with amusement. Pinched between Carlisle's thumb and his index finger were the keys to his truck.

There had been a day, and it felt like it hadn't been that long ago when his father's eyes were dull and hard. His mother, not that he called her that anymore, had packed her bags and left just after Edward's tenth birthday, claiming she needed to find herself. Find herself, Edward thought. She hadn't found herself. What she had found was another man.

"I left them in the door again, didn't I?"

Carlisle laughed and nodded. "One of these days, kiddo, you're going to lose your head."

"Good thing it's kind of attached to my neck, huh?" Edward reached for them, but when he pulled his hand back, he groaned. "Dad."

"You know the rules, Edward."

"Be home by one, don't drink, don't do drugs, and open the door for her. I know, Dad. Not like I've never taken her out before."

Carlisle smirked before he tossed the keys to him. "And use protection."

"Dad!" he exclaimed, feeling his cheeks turn bright red.

"I'm just saying I'm not ready to become a grandfather, so use protection."

"We're not doing that yet," he mumbled, avoiding his father's eyes as much as he could. He was telling the truth, of course. They hadn't taken their relationship to that level, even if they had done other things. Touching and kissing, but she wasn't ready, and he wasn't going to be the one to put pressure on her.

"Good, good, keep it that way, son."

Edward rolled his eyes before he turned and hurried out of the house. But instead of walking directly to the black pick-up parked in front of the house, he walked next door. He raised his hand to knock, but the door opened before he could, and he found himself face to face with her.

His Bella.

She smiled, her cheeks turning the most succulent shade of pink he'd ever seen. The freckles that were once sprinkled across her nose and cheeks had faded, but her eyes were still the beautiful, soulful brown they had always been.

Her ruby-red lips parted as she murmured, "Hey."

"Hey," he stammered, his hand reaching for hers. "You look beautiful."

She bit her lip and looked down at the blue and white sundress she was wearing, her foot sliding to the side as she blushed even more. He loved the way she blushed for him, only for him, she said.

"Thanks. You clean up pretty nice, too," she cooed, pushing her hair behind her ear before lifting her eyes to his again. "He wants to talk to you."

Edward groaned, which caused her to laugh and step out of the way. As usual, he entered the house to find her father in the living room. Edward knew the drill. Whenever Edward picked her up for a date, Charlie Swan could be found standing there, holding his shotgun. It was funny now, but he nearly choked on his tongue the first time he stammered out a promise that he wouldn't hurt Mr. Swan's little girl.

"Edward."

"Mr. Swan." Edward cleared his throat. "I'll have her home on time. I promise."

"Make sure you do. And keep her safe. Understand? One hair out of place is all it will take, boy." Charlie patted the butt of his shotgun, the threat in the simple action understood. "And drive safe."

"Yes, sir."

Bella bit her lip and rolled her eyes, giving her father a look that clearly said he was embarrassing her. Edward stretched his hand out to Bella, who grinned and slid her fingers across his palm, wrapping them around his hand. As the two walked out of the house, down the front pathway, and to his black pick-up, Edward saw both fathers standing on their front porches, watching. Edward didn't mind, though. Bella Swan was worth it, he thought. She was his entire world, and one day, he was going to marry her.

—^—

"It was okay. Kind of boring, though," Bella said, leaning her head on his shoulder as they walked out of the crowded movie theater. Her hand was wrapped around his, and she was gripping the top of his arm with her other hand. He loved the feeling of her holding on to him, needing to keep him close to her.

"Really?" Alice Brandon asked, her dark eyes raising in doubt. "I thought it was romantic and sweet. I mean, they fought to be together, didn't they? Their parents didn't want them together, tried to keep them apart, but in the end, they made it."

"Yeah, but love shouldn't be that hard, should it?" Bella asked.

"No, I guess not." Alice smiled and looked behind them as her boyfriend of almost two years walked out of the theater. "No, it shouldn't, but sometimes, it is."

"Sorry, the line for the restroom was long as shit," Jasper grumbled, wrapping his arm around Alice and placing a tender kiss on her lips. "I had better get her home. Reverend Brandon is being a dick again about me keeping her out too late. You know us heathens being a bad influence and all."

Edward laughed. "That's because you literally did keep her out all night."

"It was prom night. It's tradition to stay out all night!" Alice exclaimed. "He should have realized I wasn't coming home. Though, in hindsight, I should have just lied and said I was staying with Bella. I can't wait for graduation, so we can get out of this shithole town and away from him."

"Me too," Bella murmured, turning and placing her chin on Edward's shoulder. "How about you, babe?"

"Yeah." Edward leaned down and kissed her forehead before shifting his eyes to Jasper and Alice. "We still good for Seattle tomorrow? They said we can look at the apartment at eleven."

"We'll meet you at your house at seven-thirty."

Jasper wrapped his arm around Alice and led her in the opposite direction as Edward and Bella started down the alley behind the theater to where his truck was parked. Bella shivered, so he stopped, pulled off his sports jacket, and wrapped it around her, causing her to smile as she brought the lapel up to her nose.

"It smells like you."

"Is that a good thing?"

"A very good thing. You're wearing the cologne I got you for Christmas, aren't you?"

"Maybe," he murmured, sliding his arms inside the jacket and pulling her against him. He leaned down and pressed his lips against the side of her neck before whispering in her ear, "I love you."

"And I love you." Bella tilted her head back and looked at him. "Let's get out of here. I want to be alone."

"Alone?"

Bella nodded. "Alone."

"Alone sounds nice."

She laughed before they started back down the alley. They were almost to the other end when a guy with dirty blond hair and blue eyes stepped in front of him. He was covered in dirt and soot, his hands shaking as he raised his arm and branded a long, silver hunting knife. He shifted his head to the side before he reached out and wrapped his fingers around the top of Bella's arm, pulling her against him. She started to scream, but she stopped when he moved his hand around her throat. Her brown eyes were filled with tears as she looked at Edward, and he felt his knees weakening.

"If you do what I tell you to, she won't be harmed. Just do what I fucking tell you, man."

"Okay, okay." Edward put his hands up in front of him. "Here. Take my money. Take my wallet," he said, reaching into his back pocket and pulling out the black leather wallet his PopPop had given him for Christmas last year. "There are credit cards and, like, three hundred bucks inside."

Edward tossed the wallet onto the ground at his feet, causing the man to look down at it before his eyes shifted back to him.

"Here, take my watch, okay? My PopPop gave it to me, but you can have it. And here are the keys to my truck. It's parked just around the corner. Take it for a spin, I don't care, just . . . just don't take the girl. Please don't take the girl!"

The man pressed his face against the side of Bella's head before he pushed her toward Edward, reaching to pick up his wallet, watch, and keys in one swift move. Edward caught Bella before she could hit the ground and held her as they watched the man run away with everything he had — everything but his girl.

—O—

"Edward?" He felt her cold hand on his shoulder, giving him a gentle shake. "Edward, wake up."

Groaning, he rolled from his side onto his back, his head falling to the side as he looked at his wife. She was propped up on her pillows, her hands rubbing her stomach, and her brown eyes filled with tears.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing." Bella snickered through her tears. "It's just time to go have a baby, that's all."

Edward's eyes flew open, and he scrambled out of bed, his hands in front of him as he looked around the room. He knew he needed to get dressed, help her get dressed, but at that moment, all he could think about was that it was finally time for their baby to be born.

"Edward? Edward!"

He snapped his eyes to Bella, who was breathing through a contraction.

"I need you to get your shit together because we need to hurry. Contractions are coming fast, babe."

"How fast?"

"Two, three minutes," she whimpered, and when he groaned, she said, "You were asleep!"

"Jesus Christ, Bella, you should have woken me up!"

"I'll remember that for next time," she quipped, keeping one hand on her stomach as she swung her legs around and sat on the side of the bed. "Okay, okay, okay, I really think we need to hurry."

Edward scrambled around the room, pulling on his jeans and T-shirt. He'd gotten in the habit of leaving them on the maple chest at the end of the bed. This wasn't their first trip to the hospital. This was, in fact, their third. The first two were false alarms, but Edward knew this one was real. He shoved his feet into his shoes before hurrying over to Bella, wrapping his arm around her back and helping her stand.

She whimpered, her eyes lifting to his. "Are you ready for this?"

"No, but let's do it anyway."

Twelve minutes later, Edward had Bella in a wheelchair as he pushed her into the emergency room at Forks Memorial Hospital, where they found their fathers already waiting. Edward had called them the second they got into the car. Charlie and Carlisle were by their sides immediately. While Carlisle stood next to Edward, pride in his eyes, Charlie knelt next to his daughter and reached for her hand as she blew out quick, heavy puffs of air.

"Oh, honey. It's okay. It's going to be okay."

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. It kind of hurts, though."

Charlie smiled. "I bet it does, baby girl."

A tall, thin woman with caramel hair walked up behind Charlie and Carlisle, smiling as she looked at them. Dr. Esme Platt had been with them since they started trying for a baby almost five years ago. She was there through their four miscarriages and all the tears shed by both Edward and Bella. She had eased every single one of Edward and Bella's fears, constantly reassuring them over the last nine months that their son, their firstborn child, was healthy and that everything was going to be fine. Their journey toward parenthood hadn't been easy for either of them, and there were moments when Edward wasn't sure their marriage would survive, but — together they had.

"I have a room ready for you up on labor and delivery," Esme said, bringing her hand up to her chest. "You ready for this, Bella?"

"I'm more than ready."

Esme smiled and nodded. "Then let's get you upstairs. It's time to meet your son."

"Our son," Bella whispered, looking back at Edward. "I love you."

"And I love you."

—^—

"Holy Mother of God!" Bella screamed, her back arching off the bed as yet another contraction rocketed through her. "This hurts like a son-of-a-bitch."

Edward almost asked exactly how hard a son-of-a-bitch hurt but opted not to ask a stupid question. When they had gotten to the fifth floor, her contractions were just over a minute apart, and she was eight centimeters dilated, earning her a glare and a lecture from Esme about taking so long to get to the hospital. Charlie and Carlisle quickly retreated to the waiting room, neither wanting to see her in pain. Charlie gave Edward the same look he had been giving him since they were seventeen years old, and he took her out on their first date. Now, ten years later, they had been married for seven years and were having their first baby.

A son.

"Oh, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!" Bella cried out, her fingers tightening around Edward's. He slipped his arm under her, holding her as she sobbed, and her head tilted in his direction. "I can't do this, Edward. I can't do it!"

"Yes, you can, sweetheart. You are so beautiful and amazing and strong. So fucking strong, babe. You can do it. Just think about how it's going to feel to hold him in your arms."

"Okay, Bella, you're ready to push, honey. Come on, let's do it."

Bella's lips trembled as she nodded and looked back at Esme, who was perched at the end of her bed. "I can do this. I can . . ." She looked back at Edward. "We can do this."

"Together."

Bella closed her eyes for just a second, a brief second before she blew out a deep breath and started pushing, screaming, and crying through each and every contraction. Edward never let go of her hand, never stopped holding her up, and never stopped supporting her.

"One more, Bella. One more, and your son will be here."

Bella started sobbing, but her fingers tightened around Edward's as she leaned forward, her sweat-soaked hair falling behind her, as she screamed, "ARGH!"

A moment later, the sweetest, purest, most beautiful sound Edward had ever heard filled the air . . . the sound of his son crying. He smiled and looked from Bella to Esme, who stood and laid him in Bella's waiting arms. Tears fell down her face as she brought her hand up, stroking his chubby cheek.

"He's beautiful," she whimpered, her eyes shifting to Edward. "Isn't he beautiful?"

"He is," Edward cried.

Bella flopped against his arm, her eyes closing. "Edward, I . . ."

"Bella? Bella!"

In a rush, the baby was pulled out of Bella's arms, and he felt someone pulling him away from the bed. When he looked, he saw Esme reach over and press the code blue button.

"Get him out of here!"

"What's wrong? What's going on?"

Esme shifted her eyes to Edward. "She's bleeding out, Edward. I need to get her into the O.R."

"What? No, she's . . . she's . . ."

"Stay with your son, Edward. I have to get her to the O.R. She's fading fast, Edward!"

Edward hadn't even been able to process what Esme was saying before they were rolling Bella's bed out of the room. He followed, finding himself falling onto his knees as they rolled the love of his life away.

"Edward? Oh, my God, Edward, where are they taking her?" Carlisle was by his side in a heartbeat, wrapping his arms around him.

"She's . . . she's . . ." Edward fell forward, unable to keep from openly sobbing as he heard himself pray. "Take every breath you gave me, God. Take the heart from my chest. I'll gladly take her place if you'll let me. Make this my last request. Take me out of this world, God. Please, just don't take the girl."

—O—

"Dad!"

Edward turned and looked back at the house, watching the little dark-haired boy with bright green eyes run out of the house with the black tackle box Carlisle had given him for Christmas the year before. A tradition, he said, tearing up when he thought about how his own father had given Edward his first tackle box at the same age. The navy blue fishing hat on his head shifts to the side, causing him to slap his hand on top and push it back.

"Slow down, bud, before you fall." Edward squatted next to the car, putting his hands out as his son stopped in front of him. He smiled, showing the two missing teeth and causing the freckles on his cheek and nose to spread. "We have plenty of time, Ben."

"I know."

At eight years old, Benjamin Charles Cullen was the spitting image of his mother, except for his green eyes. He also possessed his mother's fiery spirit and temper. That was something Edward kept close to the chest. It was hard to believe that eight years had passed so quickly — since that fateful day when their lives changed.

The sound of the front gate opening drew their attention, and they saw Jasper Whitlock walking in with his daughter Angela. He and Alice had married not long after Edward and Bella, though they had waited until Ben was almost a year old before welcoming their first child. Angela had long, black hair and dark eyes.

Ben groaned. "Dad, no!"

Edward laughed, placing his hands on his son's shoulders. "We can't leave her behind, bud."

As the front door to their house opened, and Bella walked out onto the porch, her eyes meeting his, he said, "Trust me, Ben. Someday, you'll change your mind."

Thank you for all the AMAZING reviews! This was one of two entries I submitted for The Era's Contest. I was blessed to be Alice's White Rabbit's Validators picked, so thank you, Sally! As always, thank you to Sunflower Fran for being an amazing Beta and cleaning up my words.