Fly ~ Edward Cullen

Chapter Three : Can't Stay

Time skip : Beth and Bella are now 10 months old.

"Custody of Isabella and Elizabeth Swan is hereby given to Renée Dwyer."

At those words, the glare that she shot her mother had intensified tenfold.

She was taking her away from her dad. Her papa.

Charlie had been her first dad ever, really. In her past life her 'sperm donor' left when he had the chance, leaving her mother behind with Genevieve. And now, Renée was the one taking her father away.

Charlie was sitting quietly in his seat, unmoving as the words left the judges mouth. Beth watched as he stood, head bowed as he was escorted out of the courtroom with his lawyer.

She wanted to follow him, go with him. Not her mother.

She struggled in her grandmother's arms, squirming around. She felt a sudden smack on her bum and froze. Turning back around, she looked at the glowering, wrinkly face of her granny and scowled.

'Let me go!' She wanted to scream, but all that came out was a frustrated yell of garbled foolish known as baby-talk.

"Hush, Elizabeth." Her granny scolded her.

Beth wanted to kick her so badly.

Before she could, a whimper came from beside her. It was Isabella sitting in her car seat beside them. She had awoken from her nap and made that noise as if to berate the two for it.

Immediately, Beth quieted down settling for glaring at the oblivious woman holding her.

"Okay, I have the documents. We can go now." Renée had come over, looking ages older than the twenty-one year old she actually was. 

Beth snarled at her mother, or at least tried to but once more it failed and looked like she was constipated.

"Aww, my sweeties." The single mother cooed to them, tickling the twins. Isabella gurgled a laugh while Beth grabbed her mother's hand and pushed it away from her with her upset face.

"Dada." Beth gurgled frustratedly. The two adults stopped talking and looked down at her.

"Say that again, honey?" Renée kneeled in front of her.

"Dada!" She screamed, tears coming to her eyes. Renée blinked stupidly before taking her from her grandmother's arms.

Beth cursed her baby emotions, they were so strong. Every single emotion had two physical responses, cry and laugh. Because she was frustrated now, she cried . She missed her old hold on her emotions and prayed that this would end.

Renée stood up and walked out the doors of the courtroom. Beth cried, partly from relief of her mother's understanding and partly because she wanted to go to her dad so much.

Looking over Renee's shoulder, she caught sight of the old bat carrying Bella's seat, following after them reluctantly.

Childishly, Beth stuck her tongue out at her granny and was satisfied by the startled expression that appeared on the elder woman's face.

Looking ahead again, she caught sight of Charlie leant against a wall with his tie askew and his hand pinching the bridge of his nose. His face was flushed, as if he had been crying and Beth's tears picked up speed.

Why? Why was her mother separating them?

"Dada!" She cried out and Charlie's head shot up in surprise. His eyes were bloodshot and the very tip of his nose was a bright red and swollen. He had been crying judging by the wetness of his eyelashes.

He sniffed and held out his hands as Beth did the same. He basically plucked her from her mother's hands and held her tightly. Beth couldn't feel anything but pure love and adoration and pride from his hug.

She clutched his dress shirt in a death grip with her pudgy hands. Neither party ever wanted to let go.

Renée watched the scene with a sad smile. She knew what she was doing was wrong.

But she couldn't stay in Forks. She didn't want to get stuck there.

She wanted to travel. Experience different cultures and view the world herself. And Renée knew she couldn't do that in Forks.

A soft cry a few feet behind them had Renée turning and letting the father and daughter have a moment.

She took Isabella from her mother's arms and hushed her, holding her for the time being.

It was almost as if the twins knew what was going on.

Elizabeth hugged her dad like it was the last time. Which it was, in a way. The last time that she would see him for a few years.

She would miss how he'd make aeroplane noises to get her and Bella to eat and how he'd tickle her when she calmed down from a temper tantrum.

Gosh, there were plenty of those times.

But most of all, she'd miss his hugs.

"Dada..." She garbled through hiccups.

He hushed her, rubbing her tiny back soothingly with his huge hands.

"I know, it's okay." Charlie whispered to her.

"Everything will be fine."