Preface

Sometimes, you can't help what happens. You have two options. You can let it consume you, until you fall apart and wish you were dead, or you can make the best of it, and move on. Sometimes, you don't know which is the better option until you've chosen the opposite.

Chapter One

The battle had been won, and they had all returned to the Cullen's house. There were celebrations by everyone as they welcomed Alice and Jasper home, and also celebrated the fact that Nessie would grow up to be a normal girl. Well, as normal as one can be in this world, when you are half vampire and half human.

Tanya and Kate had celebrated half heartedly with the others. At the end of the day, the fact remained that Caius had killed Irina to provoke a war. He had very nearly succeeded too, if it hadn't been for Garrett and Carlisle stopping them, they would probably all be dead by now. While the others rehashed the battle of wits, Kate and Tanya stood off to the side. Garrett was never far from Kate's side, and as deep as her grief went, this comforted her.

The Denali clan had stayed after the others had left. Perhaps there was still some left over feelings of guilt for not helping the Cullens out when the newborns had attacked last summer. However, it finally came time to take their leave, and Tanya, Kate, Carmen and Eleazar left. Garrett accompanied them. He had meant it when he told Kate he would follow her anywhere. The trouble now would be to get her to believe it, but he felt up to the task.

Kate held tightly to Garrett's hand, fighting the grief she had for her lost sister. Caius had destroyed her out of spite, and while Kate understood the reasons, she still felt bitter that she didn't get the chance to attack. They had driven down in one car, but Garrett too had driven, so Kate got into the passenger seat of his car, and watched the road and car ahead as they sped off into the night, following the tail lights of Tanya's SUV.

Garrett glanced over to her after they had been on the road for awhile. "I'm so sorry Katie. I wish I could make it better for you," he spoke quietly into the darkness.

Kate looked over at him and she smiled softly, though the hurt and grief were still in her eyes. "I know," she whispered, and tightened her hand on his as they drove on.

---

They were able to get back to the large house in the woods in less than 24 hours thanks to Tanya's and Garrett's driving. It was a vampire thing, the speed at which they drove would try to match what they could run. The sky was overcast as they pulled into the cul de sac that ended their driveway. Kate looked out the window, her pale blond head leaning against the glass, her amber eyes somber. Garrett watched Tanya, Carmen and Eleazar get out of the SUV and glance back before heading inside. Tanya would know how Kate was feeling, and understood she needed these few minutes to herself. Garrett carefully extracted his fingers from her death grip on his hand and reached for the handle of the door.

"Please don't," Kate spoke quietly. She lifted her head from the glass and turned her eyes to his. "I've lived a long time alone Garrett. In the last millennium I cannot remember ever wishing I had someone to stay with me until this moment."

He nodded and reached for her hand again. "I'm here until you kick me out, Kate," his voice was soft.

She smiled sadly and squeezed his hand. "Why don't we go inside. I'll show you around. Maybe you won't like living in one place. Don't make promises you can't keep, nomad," but her eyes, so lifeless before, held a spark of humor and he had hope that she would get through this eventually. Perhaps only because of him, though he wasn't sure he wanted to put that high of an expectation on himself.

"Oh I don't know, I could probably get used to this. It's the animal blood that takes some getting used to..." he trailed off, but his voice was teasing.

She laughed. "It does. But I think you'll get used to it. And if you don't, well as I said, don't make promises you can't keep."

Garrett let go of her hand long enough for them both to exit the car. It wasn't much to look at, a 1999 Pontiac Grand Am, a little beat up, but under the hood the engine had been reworked to allow for maximum speed. It was one of the few possessions he owned, along with the clothes in his duffel in the back seat and a few of his favorite books. As they came around the hood of the car to meet, he held his hand out to her again, and she took it. She leaned against him as they walked up to the house. They paused, just for a moment, long enough for him to place a soft kiss on her forehead before she opened the door into the spacious foyer. She looked up to him and smiled and they stepped inside.