Right Place, Wrong Time

Chapter One: Prologue

EPOV:

I pulled up to my mother's house after working 12 hours at the Cullen Clinic. My father was a little short-staffed with it being cold and flu season, so I decided to lend a hand. I just didn't count on being called in yesterday to assist with a major trauma. It was true what they say, there was no rest for the wicked, or fathers.

I smiled thinking of my son, knowing it had been far too long since I had seen since I had seen Masen, and I really needed to see my son.

There was nothing I wouldn't do for my son. Masen was the light of my life, the reason I got up in the morning - beside the fact that he always bounds into my room to wake me up. I wouldn't change my life for anything.

Well . . . maybe one thing.

My thoughts flew to Masen's incubator, Jane. She was no longer a part of Masen's life, thank God for small miracles. That selfish bitch could rot in hell for all I care. She was not going to get a hold of my child again. He's my son, it's my job to protect him . . . even if it is from his own flesh and blood.

I was walking up driveway as Masen flew out the front door.

"Daddy, you're here! You came fo me! You didn't foget me!" Twist that knife in my heart why don't you.

"I could never forget my son! I will always come for you, I promise. Mase, did you have fun with Mimi today?" I ruffled his hair as he slammed into me. He put up his arms and I balanced him on my hip. I knew there would be a day that he would no longer want to be held by his dad, and until that day came, I would take every moment that he would give me.

"Yep Daddy. Mimi 'n me played oufsi all monin. Then we made dinner. I had two tookies. Then I had to protef her from the big, bad scawy monsfer. She was scweamin lif a gurl."

I smiled at my son's speech problems. Masen sounded so cute when he tried to be like a little man.

"That's because Mimi is a girl." My mother said as she walked out of the house with a casserole dish and Masen's backpack.

"Thanks for watching him Mom. I hope it wasn't too much."

She smiled and ruffled his hair. "Nonsense. I told you I would watch him. Masen reminds me a lot of you when you were his age."

"So what's this about a big, bad scary monster?" I asked as Masen started running circles in the yard.

"The big, bad, scary monster was that stupid tarantula that Emmett has in his room. I can't wait for the construction on their house to be done. I love my son, but I hate that tarantula." She kissed me on my cheek and ruffled my hair. "Are you sure you don't want me to keep him the rest of the day. You look exhausted."

My mother pulled me back, brushing my hair back. She caught sight of the thin scar at my hairline. Most people wouldn't notice it, but my mother always said she knew every mark on her kids. She touched the scar, looked at me sadly. I knew she was thinking about my time in Afghanistan, but I didn't need her thinking about that right now.

"I am exhausted, but I promised him we could go see the new Toy Story movie today." I smiled at my son. Masen had been looking forward to this movie ever since he saw the trailer for it one morning. He kept a countdown on his calendar for the day we were going to see this movie, so I knew that he knew today was the day. I wasn't going to disappoint him.

"Mimi, today is the day Daddy is taking me to see Toy Stowy 3."

Masen let out a cry of excitement, which I'm sure shattered my eardrums as he continued on and on about Woody and Buzz Lightyear as I strapped him into his booster seat. I just made my four-year old son's year. I really was tired, and it would have been easier to let my mother take him, but truth be told, I made a promise and I was going to stick with it. My father always worked awful hours when I was younger, and he always made time to do things with my brothers and me when we were younger. I wanted to do the same for my son. I loaded him into the car, and strapped him into the booster seat.

"Edward, are you sure? I can take him. You need to get some sleep."

"I caught a couple of hours during some dead time at the hospital. I'm fine Mom. You worry too much," I told her. "How did Masen sleep? This is the first night I haven't had him since I got him."

"He did fine honey. No nightmares, no mention of that awful Jane."

I marveled at the progress that we had made it such a short time. I just obtained sole custody of him two months ago, only after learning of his existence when my gold-digging ex, Jane, tried to sell him to me for her next row of cocaine. Instead of giving in to her, I sued for custody, and surprisingly won sole custody. Jane hadn't been heard from since. She was probably in an alleyway trying to score her next row, and good riddance. Masen would never have to see the bitch again. All parental rights were terminated.

"Daddy, what time is da moofie?"

"It's at four o'clock. It's twelve o'clock now, so we have four hours to do. I'm going to drive home and drop of our stuff, and then I have to go to the bank so we can have money so we can go to the movie and get our snacks, okay?" I knew that my son wouldn't have a problem with the list of things we had to do, as long as it included being able to get something sweet. I swear, in the future, I was going to be making some dentist rich with my kid's sugar addiction. As a doctor, I knew all the processed sugar was bad for him, but I had four years of his life to make up for. So sue me if I indulged him a little bit.

"Can I have M&Ms?"

"Sure buddy."

"Can I have popcorn?"

I nodded my head again as I turned down our road.

"Can I have a large soda?"

I shook my head. I needed to draw the line somewhere. "I think a small one will work for you Mase. You don't want to be getting up to use the bathroom and miss half the movie do you?"

Masen ran his fingers through his unruly hair, a trait that he inherited from me. "No. I wanna see all of da moofie."

I pulled into the driveway and grabbed the dinner that my mother had made for us and I threw it into the refrigerator. She was always making things like that just so she knew that at least two days a week that Masen and I had a good home cooked meal. She made it seem like I never cooked, and even though I didn't like to cook, I could hold my own in the kitchen.

I knew that Masen would need to get something to eat, so I decided to go to the bank first and then to head to Red Robin to grab him a hamburger. He loved those greasy burgers, and well, it would give me more time with him.

We finally pulled up into the bank and we made our way to the center console so I could fill out a deposit and withdrawal form.

"Daddy!"

"Yeah Buddy?"

"Do they have lollipops here?" Great exactly what he needs, more sugar. But yet, I was going to indulge him for my 48 hour absence in his life.

I nodded. "Up at the front." I set him down and started filling out the deposit form. I had gotten some rebate in the mail from my last cell phone purchase and needed to get the rebate check back in the account. Just as I finished the paper work, I looked around, realizing that my son had ran off in the crowd. He was normally really good at staying by my side, but when he got something in his mind, he didn't care about what he was supposed to do.

I sighed, knowing that he had probably headed for the lollipop jar at the teller's counter. I ran my hand through my hair and started in the general direction, seeing the wall of people that were in front of me. Why did I decide to come to the bank during lunch hour? I groaned at my mistake and continued to scour the crowd for my son.

Just then, I heard it. It was the unmistakable sound of glass shattering.

"Daddy!" Masen looked around frantically, but couldn't spot me in the crowd. I probably stood there for a full second, thinking about what to do. Just then, I heard the sweetest voice speaking to my son.

"Masen? Masen Roberts?"

"Miss Swan?"

"Stay there baby. I don't want you to step on glass." I heard her caution him.

I heard her step on the glass as she made her way over to him. "Miss Swan, don't hurf yourself."

"I won't sweetheart. I have on thick shoes. Just stay where you are."

I made my way to the front of the crowd, seeing her as she scooped my son in her arms. She set him up on the counter and checked him for any injuries as she wiped the tears that were flowing from his eyes.

"Honey, it was an accident. No one is going to get mad at you. Are you here with your grandma?"

"No. Daddy." Masen pointed me out as I made my way over to them. She perched him on her hip as she stepped over the glass. I noticed that the teller was coming over with a broom.

"Thank you," I told her gratefully as she passed Masen back over to me.

"No problem. Masen and I go way back. Don't we Mr. Roberts?" She asked him as she smoothed out his hair.

"I'm Masen Cullen now," he announced proudly. I set him down on the ground again and this time he wrapped himself around my legs.

"Hi. Dr. Edward Cullen." I introduced myself. "Masen's father."

She looked at me astounded. "Bella Swan, Masen's old preschool teacher. Jane told me that you died."

"Jane is full of S-H-I-T," I told her. "She wished I died when I was overseas." I rolled my eyes thinking of my ex. "I just gained custody of him a couple of months ago."

"Hence the name change," Bella commented, ruffling his hair.

"Yep."

She nodded. "Well, it looks like I lost my place in line. Do you mind if I wait with you guys?"

"Ms. Swan, I'm so sorry about that. I'm grateful that you were in the right place, right time."

"It's just a lucky coincidence. And please, call me Bella." She stuck her hand out, presumably for me to shake.

"Then, call me Edward." I smiled, shaking her hand.

We stood in line, making idle talk. Bella, Ms. Swan, was standing so close that I could smell the sweet smell of apples rolling off of her. Did apples smell sweet?

She filled me in on Masen's antics during the previous school year, which I wasn't a part of. It warmed my heart knowing that there was a kind and loving person such as this during his formidable years. As I implied before, Jane wasn't exactly mother of the year material.

We made our way to the front of the line and Bella went before me. I watched as she walked to the teller, flashing a smile Masen's way. She leaned up against the counter, which accentuated her feminine curves. Her long brown hair was getting caught in the breeze of the air conditioning vent. My son's old preschool teacher was a hottie. I was almost envious of him for having her in his life for the past year.

Just as she was finishing up, Masen started to wiggle a little.

"Daddy, I haf to go to da bafroom."

I rolled my eyes, knowing that I would have to spend another twenty minutes in line, but what were you going to do.

"I'll take him for you," she offered as she walked back over to us. Bella tucked her hair back behind her ear and propped him up on her hip. "I promise you, I have done this before, so it will be nothing new."

"I can't ask that of you."

"You didn't I offered. Besides, Masen mentioned going to the movies. You don't want to be late, do you?"

"Please Daddy?"

I nodded, telling her thank you again. I completed my transaction, pulling out a hundred dollars for the movie, intending on asking Bella to come with us. She had been so nice to Masen, it was the least I could do.

I was waiting for Bella and Masen in the lobby when I heard gunshots echoing throughout the bank. I instinctually ducked, praying that Masen and Bella were nowhere near the chaos. People were screaming around me, and there was a child crying. Please God, let Masen be okay. I looked up, and saw the people responsible for this chaos. What I saw next, made me freeze. Three men had entered the bank with semi-automatic weapons, screaming that this was a hold up.

And somewhere in this madness, Masen was with Bella, and all I could do was pray.

AN: I know, new story and I have a lot in the works, but this was stuck in my head and I wanted to start writing it. I will be updating all stories (I hope) on a weekly basis . . . promises, promises, but things in my life are becoming a little less hectic and I am finding more time to write.

As always, reviews rock the authors socks, and truthfully, I hate to say it, we thrive off of it, and even write more if we know our stories are appreciated - barring RL getting in the way.