Disclaimer: All copyrights, trademarked items, or recognizable characters, plots, etc. mentioned herein belong to their respective owners. No copying or reproduction of this work is permitted without their express written authorization. Twilight belongs to Stephenie Meyer; Volition belongs to me, Rochelle Allison.

Special love & kisses & thanks to my beta Nic, who has become the most special of friends throughout this process. We've stayed up many a late night, tweaking this thing.

Edward gave me the window seat, knowing I'd want to be able to look out. I both did and didn't; while I was excited to finally be on a plane, I was rather nervous as well. I knew planes flew all the time, every day, and had for years…but that didn't really stop the anxiety from bubbling in my gut.

"Y'alright?" Edward asked, struggling with our bags. He'd gotten most of our things into the overhead compartment and was now wrestling the smaller ones into the space beneath our chairs. We'd had to check two of our largest bags through, and that was another thing I'd on my mind; if the bleedin' airline lost my things I'd be really cheesed off…

"A bit nervous is all," I shrugged. It was near impossible for me to sit still, my fingernails clacking lightly against the armrest as I drummed my fingers. I was anxious about flying, about landing, about what was going on back home, about my brother and his wife, about our future in the States. What if I hated it? What if I was miserable and lonely?

Edward finally managed to stow our bags and sat up, squeezing my thigh. "Try and sleep, yeah?"

"Maybe when we take off," I said, resisting the urge to just grab his hand and never let go. He was as exhausted as I was, and he surely didn't need me clingin' to him for the entire flight.

A really lovely dark haired stewardess made her way down the aisle, smiling warmly as she handed out blankets and pillows. I could've kissed her; that was exactly what I needed. Then I noticed her notice my husband, her eyes fixated on him from several rows ahead. By the time she made it to us she barely looked at me as she handed over my pillow and blanket.

"Good Morning and welcome aboard," she practically panted.

Sighing inwardly, I turned to look out the window. Though I didn't quite like it, I supposed I needed to just get used to the way women looked at Edward; he was, after all, easy on the eyes. I was no better - I'd wanted him myself for years and years.

Edward didn't seem to notice; he yawned, pressing a little button on our armrest so that he could recline and I imitated him, surprised at how comfortable I was in such a cramped space. He turned to me, smiling faintly. I loved the way he looked right then, his facial hair longer than usual and blonde at the tips.

"I like you with a beard," I murmured, running the pad of my thumb over his chin.

"Yeah?"

"Mmm," I snuggled deeper into my seat, pulling the blanket tight around me.

"Maybe I'll keep it," he whispered, yawning again. "I'm so tired."

"Me too," I whispered back, my eyes heavy.

We were quiet awhile, listening to the quiet hum of conversations all around us, the occasional click of a seatbelt being fastened. Another stewardess positioned herself in the front of the plane and started demonstrating safety procedures and though I struggled to pay attention my exhaustion was winning.

I didn't even realize I'd fallen asleep until I was shaken gently awake by Edward. We were being asked what we'd like to drink.

With a start I looked out the window, both fascinated and terrified to see that we were so high up I couldn't even see the ground because of the thin layer of clouds beneath us.

"Wow," I breathed, my nose pressed against the cold window. "How many times have you flown?" I asked Edward, turning back to him.

"I don't know, two, maybe three times?" he shrugged.

Soon after we were served lunch, and I attacked it with gusto. Now that I'd napped – although nowhere near enough - I could focus on how hungry I was.

"So, we'll have to figure out the best way to go about this when we get there," Edward said, once he'd polished off his meal. "You know I had to buy round trip tickets so it looked like we were on vacation..."

"So what will we do?" I asked, feeling a little pinch of panic in my stomach. I hadn't thought that far ahead; getting on the plane had been the hard part, or so I'd thought.

"Had we time, I'd have gotten us work visas or something… but it all happened so fast, you know? That's usually how people come to the States and stay for a bit. It's no matter though; the same guy who got your passport has all sorts of people in America who deal with this sort of thing," he said.

"That's convenient" I said, wiping my mouth with a napkin.

"We're not the first to flee the country for the reasons we did," he smirked, running his hand tiredly though his hair.

"That's true, isn't it," I said, gazing out the window again. "He'll be able to help?"

"He gave me his number, and the number of someone in New York City."

"How far away is that from where we're going?" I asked.

"I don't know; far. I know there's a large group of Irish supporters there. Some of them are from home, and some have been in America for a couple of generations. They support the effort."

"Financially?"

"Sometimes," he nodded.

I'd never thought how our struggle would extend across oceans that way; it always seemed so personal. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. We were now going to be living over in the States, but I knew we'd probably continue to support the cause back home as well. It was the right thing to do; we'd left Belfast, but our hearts remained there. Our parents, people we knew like Mikey and little Danny Crowley, were all still there.

I'd hoped to rest more, but I was too keyed up. Edward and I talked intermittently for hours, planning and wondering what life would be like. He wanted to go about getting his transcripts sent over as soon as possible so he could re-enter medical school. Everything was going to be different now, and he was prepared for the possibility that he might have to re-do certain courses to be deemed ready for American medical school.

Fortunately, the same exchange program that had brought Jasper over to Belfast initially worked both ways; the University of Texas at Austin apparently had a favorable relationship with Queens University. We could only hope that Edward's near flawless scholastic record, as well as Carlisle's considerable pull with Belfast's medical and academic communities –would help enable the transition.

Edward was used to living a charmed life of sorts, for things to work out for him somehow, some way – as if it was written in the stars – but I was prepared for the rocky road ahead. I didn't doubt we'd thrive eventually, but there was so, so much to get through first. Too many things were out of our control, and nothing short of divine intervention would guarantee our success.

As for me, it looked like my studies were being put on hold for a bit, and I was fine with that. I'd been complaining that my workload was getting to be a bit much, so a break, no matter how forced or unexpected, was a blessing in disguise. Edward had always supported what I wanted to do in terms of schooling; it was time for me to fully support him now. His medical degree, when he finally got it, guaranteed good money, and if we had to delay a few things to get there, then so be it.

We had three weeks to figure out what our next move would be. After that, our return tickets would expire and we would be, officially, illegal aliens.

"Oh God, Bridgette, but he's gorgeous! Did you see him?"

"The one in 17A?"

The first voice tittered. "Ah, so you did notice him. I wouldn't mind taking him into the first class bathroom."

"Oh, but I think he's married though…"

"He's too young to be married and even if he is he might want a bit on the side."

"You're awful," the second one laughed.

I rolled my eyes, unable to believe I was actually listening to this conversation with my own two ears. The queue to the bathroom wasn't that long, but there were two people between myself and the little galley where the stewardesses were preparing snacks and drinks, and the slappers weren't exactly keeping their voices down.

I tried not to let it bother me; really, I did. Edward had proved that he loved me, and I felt in my heart we were meant to be. It wouldn't do for me to go off my nut every time someone paid attention to him, and like I kept reminding myself, I too had lusted after him for years, so I had.

But then the irrational, over-tired side of me reared up. It was just really feckin' inappropriate for them to be eyeing him like a piece of meat when he was obviously with someone. I snuck a glance around the people in front of me to see who exactly was nattering on.

Ah yes. Ms. Roving Eyes from earlier and a petite blonde with huge breasts. Typical.

The two bathrooms opened at the same time, freeing the space in front of me. Folding my arms, I leaned against the wall and waited.

Blondie popped out first, her eyes widening for just a second before she cocked her head and smiled. "Can I get you anything, Miss?"

"No, I'm fine, thanks," I said, a cordial smile on my face.

"All right," she nodded, moving past me to go back up the aisle.

Moments later I came out of the tiny bathroom and started back to my seat, sucking in a sharp breath when I saw Roving Eyes lingering beside Edward's seat, her perfectly manicured hands resting on the back of it. I'd never flown before, but I was quite sure slutting about wasn't one of the services offered.

"Excuse me," I snapped, glaring until she stepped away so I could climb back into my seat.

She smiled and sashayed off, leaving me fuming.

"What did she want?" I huffed, buckling my seatbelt as I looked at Edward.

He grinned. "You're not jealous, Bella."

"No, I'm pissed. You should've heard the shite they were sayin' back there – that one there wants to take you to the back," I said.

"Yeah, she was askin' what my plans were in the States, so I told her we were on our honeymoon."

That made me smile, and I bit my lip sheepishly. "Oh. Good."

He shook his head. "Some honeymoon," he snorted.

"Really…" I sighed.

We'd been in the sky for so long that the day had risen, passed and begun to set. I stared longingly at the dwindling light outside, wanting so badly to be out of transit. It was going to be awhile until we were settled, but having a place to sleep would be a grand start.

Finally, the pilot announced that we were approaching the Robert Mueller Municipal Airport. He mentioned the temperature and the wind condition, and I winced in discomfort as my ears began to react to the pressure of losing altitude. Once again, I pressed my face to the window, gazing down at the tiny lights sparkling like stars below.

"Alice knows when we land?"

"I called Da before we took off, so, he said he'd tell her," Edward said.

Nodding, I grabbed his hand and squeezed it, and he squeezed back as we started to make our final descent. This was unreal. In about fifteen minutes, I'd be in the United States of America.

I closed my eyes and said a quick prayer, as always, thanking Him for how far we'd come, and asking for help in where we were going.

Alice couldn't stop talking.

From the second we found each other in the crowded baggage claim area to now, in Jasper's bright red Chevrolet Chevelle (or so he'd said; I hadn't a baldy about cars), she'd been chattering nonstop. She couldn't wait to show us her new everything - her apartment, her university, her job.

Meanwhile, Edward was sitting upfront with Jasper, talking about whatever men discuss. He was quite taken with Jasper's car, and I had a feeling he'd look to get one just like it when the dust settled and funds were coming in. We didn't have cars like that back home; Jasper called it "American Muscle".

I was so worn out that I'd caught a second wind; I felt almost lightheaded, but in a really good way. The cool evening breeze blew past our faces, rushing in through the open windows, and I breathed it in gulps, grateful after ten hours on an airplane.

"Are ya'll hungry?" Jasper asked, pulling up to a stoplight.

"I am, yeah," I said without hesitation. It had been a while since they'd fed us on the plane.

"Let's get tacos!" Alice said, clapping her hands in excitement. I had to laugh; her enthusiasm was very welcome after the stress and worry of the past few weeks.

Jasper chuckled, too, eyeing her in the rear view mirror. "Sounds good."

Another thing I had to get used to: the food. I had no idea what a taco was, but chances were if Alice liked them, I would as well. Besides, beggars can't be choosers and I was starving.

We stopped at a cheap Mexican restaurant for take away, and then ate in the car as Jasper drove around a bit, pointing out things along the way. He and Alice both lived relatively near the campus of their school, although he owned a house whereas she was in student housing.

Once we got to Alice's apartment building, we wasted no time in getting our things inside. Not surprisingly, Carlisle and Esme had spared nothing for their little girl; her apartment had two nicely sized bedrooms and simple but very elegant furnishings.

"Shame you're hardly home, isn't it?" I whispered after the tour was complete and Edward had gone to take a shower.

Alice shrugged, smiling a bit. "It is."

We walked back into the kitchen, where she put on the kettle. "I can't believe yer actually here, in Austin, in my kitchen," she said, shaking her head. "I can hardly believe I'm here half the time…"

"It's surreal, isn't it," I agreed, looking around. It still hadn't fully hit me.

I feared that once the glitz and glamour of being in a new place wore off things would seem a lot less promising. What was I going to do with myself? There was only so long we could live on savings…

"Relax, love," Alice was at my side, pulling up a chair. "You've so much tension on your face… "

"I'm scared," I admitted, resting my face in my hands. "I'm tired, and I don't know what we're going to do."

"I know," she said. "We'll take it one step at a time. It's too much to think about right now."

Nodding, I wiped away the wetness in my eyes.

Jasper walked in, crossing the room to toss something into the rubbish bin.

"Y'alright, Bella?"

"I just need sleep," I said, forcing a smile.

"I can imagine; ya'll have been on the run for awhile now," he said.

Alice punched his arm. "Judas Iscariot, have some tact, Jazz."

"It's okay," I laughed, waving them off. "It's true. We are on the run…exiled from our own country."

"Jaysus, that's grim," Edward said, rubbing a towel through his hair as he joined us. He already had on his sleeping pants and shirt.

"All right, I'm going to bathe," I said, standing. "I'll have tea when I'm done."

Alice and Jasper exchanged a glance. "We're going to head back to my place," Jasper said, looking carefully at Edward.

Edward nodded, and I could see the ambivalence on his face. I knew he probably felt a bit odd, knowing his sister was staying with her boyfriend, but he also knew what it felt like to be in Jasper's place.

"Tomorrow, then?" Alice hugged her brother, whispering something into his ear before coming to embrace me.

"You'll be okay," she said, kissing my cheek.

"Yeah," I squeezed her tight, and then she and Jasper left.

I smiled weakly at Edward. "I'll feel more human after a shower."

He nodded. "I'm going to make a few calls."

I'd never experienced a shower quite like this. It was just a regular shower, but after two days of travel, it was heaven. I stayed beneath the warm streams 'till my fingers and toes were wrinkly and my skin was scrubbed pink.

With one towel wrapped around my hair and another on my body, I walked into the bedroom I was sharing with Edward. I could hear him in the living room, his voice kept low, and a warm, comforted feeling spread through me.

He was already at work, putting things into place.

He wouldn't let us flounder out here; we would make it. He'd said from the very beginning that he would always take care of me, and I realized, more strongly than I ever had, how true and real that was.

I pulled on my nightgown and joined him, curling up on the sofa to brush the tangles from my hair.

He watched me as he spoke on the phone, his eyes following the movements of my hands, as he'd done so many times back home.

Slowly, I awoke, incredibly cozy and comfortable.

Eyes barely open, I focused on the narrow slats of sunlight coming in through the closed curtains. Everything was so different here, even the windows.

Alice's bed was wonderful, but my legs still ached, as did my shoulders, and I felt as though one night's sleep had hardly put a dent in my fatigue. I looked over at Edward, fast asleep beside me.

I didn't even remember coming to bed; he must have carried me in the night before. The thought made me smile, and I snuggled closer to him, my heart so full it overflowed in tears.

Jaysus, I was turning into a sentimental sap.

He stirred, rolling over so he was facing me, his eyes opening for just a second before he closed them again. I kissed his face and he smiled the tiniest bit.

"Go back to sleep," he said, his voice hoarse.

"I will," I let my eyes drift shut, so close to slipping under again.

"Why are you crying?" his voice was hushed, his fingertips tracing my cheeks.

"I love you."

He pulled me closer, wrapping his arm over top of me. "I love you, too."

We fell back asleep, and no one, not even Alice, called to wake us up.

For hours I floated in and out of sleep, noticing how the light shifted as it came through the windows, signifying the passing of time. According to Edward, Ireland was six hours ahead of Texas. Eventually I woke all the way. The little clock on the nightstand read one o'clock, so I supposed my body thought it was seven at night. I still felt lazy, but needed to use the bathroom so desperately it couldn't ignored.

Edward was awake when I made it back to the bed, running his fingers absently through his hair.

"What're you thinkin' about?" I asked, pulling the cream colored duvet up to my chin.

"You."

"What about me?"

"Gettin' off with you," he said, crawling rather languidly on top of me until he'd me caged in with his arms and legs. "I wanted to do it earlier but I was too feckin' tired."

I gazed up at him, holding his cheeks between the palms of my hands. "Don't shave."

"I have to shave, eventually," he laughed, relaxing his weight on top of me.

"No, Jasper's hairy," I said, wrapping my legs around his.

"Oh, ye like Jasper now?" he teased, rubbing his sandpaper skin against me.

"Ow!" I cried, prying his face away. "I'm just makin' a point. He's studying to be a lawyer, and if he can get on looking scruffy so can you."

"So you admit it looks scruffy," he said, kissing me along my neck.

"Yeah," I whispered. "But I like it…on you." He was distracting me now, but he didn't need to, because I wanted it as much as he did.

"Love me," I said, quiet and into his ear.

He sat up, taking his shirt off, and then lay down, peeling his pants off. I pulled my nightgown over my head and dropped it onto my floor, along with my panties.

"You on top," he said, laying flat with his hands behind his head.

"I don't want to be on top," I said, laying beside him and mimicking his pose. "I like when you're on top… when you …" I smiled, chewing on my thumbnail.

"Have my way with you?" he said, sitting up and moving over so that he was in between my legs.

"Mhm," I nodded.

"Yeah, I like that too," he said, kissing my mouth.

Our playfulness dissipated the longer we kissed, and soon he shifted to the side, touching me inside and out. I tried to put my leg over his hip but he stopped me, pushing my legs open wider. Leaning over me, he kissed me harder, deeper, his tongue playing inside my mouth while his fingers rubbed back and forth and in circles until I reached down, placing my hand over his to keep it in one spot, and he did, and I came.

Pulling himself up, he slid into me, moving slowly. I was still tight and tense inside from coming, and he felt so good inside. We rocked lazily together, every stroke concentrated and complete. He began to move faster, and then his eyes closed and his face changed, rigid to relaxed in relief.

A month later we were still in Alice's apartment, but it wasn't the problem I'd imagined it would be. We'd fallen into new routines; I waited tables with Alice at a place down the street while Edward dealt with the less savory aspects of living as fugitives. Because, even though no one was actively seeking us out in the States, we were still staying beneath the radar.

And, because it had been more than three weeks, we'd officially overstayed our welcome. We could be deported, a thought that made me sick to my stomach as it meant we'd be delivered right into the hands of the very people who we'd run from in the first place.

I hated waiting tables; I was no good at it. Working in a book shop would have been more my speed, but I had to take what I could get. Alice, with her people skills and natural grace, was great. I just sort of hobbled along, waiting for Edward to tell me what our next move was.

"You sure you don't want to come to Jasper's, now?" Alice asked as we walked home one afternoon.

I folded my small, soiled apron into a square and tucked it under my arm. "No, I'm fine, love, thanks. Edward said he'd be home by tonight and I want to be there when he is."

Edward had taken a Greyhound bus to Boston days before to meet with members of an Irish-American mob that had connections to some of the Provos in Belfast. I'd taken on extra shifts in the meantime, wanting to busy myself so that I didn't have time to worry about him. If he was successful, he'd come back with papers for the two of us, and we'd be able to work and go to school "legally".

Well perhaps not legally, but officially.

It was awful, though, the waiting. Knowing he was going to meet with career criminals didn't exactly put my mind at ease, even if they were all supposedly on the same "side". I hadn't any delusions about Edward; he wasn't innocent or blameless, but he was a foreigner. I hated knowing he'd be at a disadvantage if anything went wrong.

Back at Alice's, which was slowly starting to feel like "home", I quickly showered and washed my hair, wanting to clean off the smells of coffee and grease. I threw together a casserole I'd seen in one of Alice's old Women's Day magazines and popped it into the oven.

My heart raced when I heard the door open, and I half-ran to Edward, so happy to see him.

"Hey," he said, dropping his backpack and hugging me tight.

"I missed you," I said, kissing his bottom lip. "How'd it go?"

"Brilliant, actually. They were full of questions about "the life" back home; they acted like I was a bleedin' hero. What shite," he snorted. "Oh, good, you're cooking. All I had today was a bag of crisps."

Frowning, I walked back into the kitchen. "Jesus, Mary and Joseph, ye could've fed yerself better than that, Edward. You're not a child."

"I was rushing, I almost missed the bus this morning," he said.

"Late night?" I guessed.

"Everyone wanted to buy me a pint," he grinned.

"I was so anxious the whole time…"

"Yeah, me too. I didn't know what sort of dodgy characters I'd be gettin' in with, but they do know James and Aedan both, so…"

"Who's Aedan?" I asked, pulling the casserole out and setting it atop the counter.

"That's who got me your passport," he said. "I met him through James a while back."

"So what now?" I asked, once we'd sat down to eat and said grace.

"Whatever you want, I suppose… do you like here?"

Taking a bite, I chewed thoughtfully. I did like Texas, with its wide open skies and local attractions. There was always something to do, day and night, always something new to try.

Yes... Austin was a nice city, but something was missing. For one thing, it was dry. I missed being near the ocean and the abundance of rain I'd grown up with.

"It's all right," I shrugged. "I like being close to Alice…"

"But you don't love it," he said, taking a bite.

I shook my head. "Not really, no."

"Neither do I," he sighed. "This country's feckin' huge; I don't even know where to start."

"I never thought I'd say this, but… I miss the rain," I said.

"We could go to Seattle," laughed Edward. "They say it rains almost every day there."

"Where's that?"

"On the west coast, above California," he said, watching me as he chewed.

"Let's go," I said, smiling at him. I was already envisioning it, green and wet…

"You want to move someplace because of the rain? We have no idea what it's even like, Bella. What if it's awful?"

"What if it's grand?" I countered. I just wanted a change. Austin was great for Alice, and she had Jasper, and this was his hometown. But we had no such roots; I wanted to go someplace we could make our own.

Edward stared at me, shaking his head.

"I'll have to see what sort of schools they have," he said slowly.

"We don't have to…" I said, relenting. But he waved me off.

"Do you have to work tomorrow?" he asked.

"No, thank God," I shoved the last bite of casserole into my mouth. It had been tasty, but nothing spectacular. I might have to stick to Irish food after all. "Why?"

"I think it's time we bought a car. I don't know where we're going, but we're not gettin' there in a bleedin' bus," he said.

"Yeah," I said, collecting our plates and plopping them into the soapy water. I knew he'd been fantasizing about cars like Jasper's - they were all over town.

Edward came up behind me, resting his chin on my shoulder.

"I'm going to take a shower."

"Okay," I said, smiling at the domestic little scenario.

In bed later on, after love, we talked in the dark like we usually did, back and forth until we drifted off.

"Is it what you imagined?" I asked, yawning.

"What?"

"Everything… your life…being here, being married."

"Nothing's ever the way you imagine it," he said, running his fingers lightly along the side of my breasts. "Some things are harder, and some things are better."

"Are you excited? About moving again?"

"I'm excited about really starting our lives somewhere. This has felt very-" he yawned, cutting himself off.

"Temporary," I whispered.

"Yeah," he dropped his hand, tired.

"I'm excited too," I said, letting my eyes close. My mind wandered as it often did in those moments before losing consciousness, a jumble of thoughts and images, worries and good things.

I was excited. My life was wide open, the possibilities were endless. In my heart of hearts, I knew that the choices I had made had been the right ones. I'd never have to look back on my life in sadness for not having followed my heart.

I'd come to this place in my life of my own volition.

Pulled in by Edward's steady breathing, I started to fall asleep.

End.

thanks to all of you who were kind enough to review, or favorite, or alert. I love writing, and it's been so cool connecting with you all this way. feel free to author alert me if you haven't; I'm taking a breather but will be starting another story in a month or two. In the meantime, I do write daily WitFits, so, i guess I'm not taking that much of a breather. :)

There will be an epilogue for Volition in about two weeks. Also, I will write two chapters from EPOV; please let me know which ones you'd most like to see and I'll choose the most popular two.

much love

xoxo