Why hello, it's technically still Saturday so I'm sort of not late đŸ˜‰

So this is short, I've only read through it once, and I'm unsure about everything. Hemingway Editor said I met my adverb goal though, so that's nice! I've had most of this chapter written for months so I had to weave a bunch of pieces together and I hope it actually reads like a whole chapter instead of a bunch of little bits. I DON'T KNOW PLEASE ENJOY.

Dedicated to Fletcher, my one true love, for teaching me how to use emojis on Windows. MVP 2021. (windows key + full stop)

The trees whipped past the group of friends as they raced to Pike's Peak. They had made good time thus far, running non stop under the cover of the forest. But now the forest was thinning and the sun was still high on the horizon. Garrett slowed in the front with his arm raised in warning.

"We should wait here!" He announced. "There are humans between us and the woodlands surrounding the mountain, we can't risk exposure. Nightfall is only a few hours away."

"That's fine with me." Kate linked her arm with Bella's as they slowed to a walk. "It might be nice to have a moment of peace before all the hurry we will have in Kansas. Carlisle and Tanya have been preparing for a hasty exodus ever since you left, darling."

Bella sighed. "I hate how much I've made you all suffer."

"Don't think of that." The blonde tightened her arm. "Think only of the relief your father will feel when you are back in his arms again. Moments like that are worth a century of pain."

Peter and Jasper had stopped too. Peter had settled to talk genially with Garrett, his earlier standoffishness forgotten. Jasper's eyes were darting around him, his tense anxiety exuding out of him for everyone to feel.

"Is something wrong?" Garrett called to him.

"I don't think I can relax until we're out of the South." He mumbled in reply. "But shouldn't we be waitin' for someone else? Aren't you and Kate staying?"

Garrett frowned. "Why would we do that?"

"Well there's someone else, isn't there? The person Bella was lookin' for in the first place."

Bella froze. She thought Jasper had worked it out. Surely he must have known somewhere within himself, but looking at him she could see the doubt in his stance. He lacked confidence in his own convictions.

She opened her mouth to respond with something vague and placating, so she could tell him properly when they were home with Carlisle and he had time and space to react. But Garrett beat her to it.

"Who exactly did you think she was looking for, friend?" He responded to Jasper's panicked glance with a raised eyebrow. "Our quest is over. You are the prize."

Jasper tensed so hard his muscles practically creaked as he turned to stare at Bella. His mouth was ajar with questions, and Bella panicked.

"I'm kind of hungry!" She slipped her arm from Kate's and took some cowardly steps backwards. "I'll run around and see if there's something to hunt."

She took off before anyone had the chance to reply. A call of "don't go too far!" followed her into the thicket.

There was very little wildlife that would tempt her. The human settlement nearby had scared off predators, so the majority of fauna that flourished around her were small mammals like rabbits and squirrels. Nothing particularly satisfying. Eventually she settled into just sitting still and watching them move around her.

Telling Peter and Jasper everything was terrifying. In a way she was more anxious about it than she had been about entering the camp in the first place. She had so much more to lose now. There was no abstract concept of a Jasper and Peter that she needed to rescue; she had them, they were hers. What if they didn't believe her? What if she lost them?

"Bella?"

She flinched, so lost in thought that she hadn't heard the footsteps behind her. Jasper was hovering between the trees again, looking like he didn't know if he could take a step forward.

"Y'know what I'm looking forward to?" Bella blurted out. "Not having to spend all our time in forests anymore."

Jasper looked at her like she'd grown another head, then snorted. "I gotta say I never thought about it."

Bella grinned. "Well think about it now. Houses, clothes, bathing! I haven't felt clean for months."

He finally moved and sat beside her. "Months? Try years. I don't know if I've ever felt clean."

"But you will soon." She bumped his shoulder with hers. "You can wash your hair, wear boots that are watertight, clothes that fit and have all the buttons. You can look at your reflection and see what you really look like. I'm excited about it for you."

"I almost prefer not to know." He smirked. "What if I'm not happy with what I see?"

She eyed his handsome profile and couldn't help but speak. "I think you will be."

He smiled but didn't say anything, his gaze locked on his hands. "So you were lookin' for me, huh?"

Ah, so she hadn't managed to distract him from it. "Yeah. You and Peter."

She wasn't sure how he would react, but certainly wasn't ready for it. He took a deep shuddering breath and his head fell into his hands, his shoulders shook as he steadied himself.

"You hopped from army to army, putting your life in insane danger… Searchin' for us?"

Oh...

"Um, no. No, I didn't." She reassured him. "That was just a story, I already knew where you were."

"...How? Why?" He lifted his head and scrunched his nose. "Have you even met Johan?"

She couldn't help but laugh at the completely left field question. "No. Did you really think I was the revenge type?"

He grimaced. "Well not really, no."

Bella let them lapse back into silence, trying to figure out what she could tell him that wouldn't mess everything up. He would find out eventually, in the next day most likely, but this was impossible to justify without explaining the time travel.

He turned, his eyes bore into her. "Why? Why would you risk everythin' to save me? You didn't even know me."

She swallowed the nervous venom in her throat and didn't answer. "Do you trust me?"

"Yes." He answered too quickly. "I shouldn't, but… I s'pose I can't help it."

"Then can you wait for me to answer that? I will tell you, I swear. I just need Carlisle. Can you wait a day or two?"

He held her gaze a moment more. Part of his reaction was just freaking her out. She was ready for anger, or disbelief. She was ready for him to completely reject her and run off if she didn't tell him everything. She had a feeling Peter might still do that. But Jasper was sad. He wasn't angry, he was distressed. It was strange and it was disarming.

"Of course." He finally whispered. "Just one more promise?"

"Mm?"

"Don't do it again." He gulped. "If you're the type to rush off and risk your life for total strangers, at least take me with you. Don't… don't kill yourself without letting me try to save you."

There was that distress again. His hands were shaking, his eyes shining. She couldn't help but reach over and cover his clasping fingers with hers, squeeze them until they stopped trembling.

"Of course." She echoed. "I don't plan on leaving you any time soon. Or ever, if you want."

He nodded and returned the squeeze of their hands. "I want."

The heavy anxious feeling in her stomach let up and was replaced by a warm calm that stretched around her shoulders and tickled her cheeks. Jasper had his eyes closed and was breathing deeply.

"This is always a hard one to summon up." He whispered.

She smiled and shuffled closer to him. "It'll get easier. I promise."

They stayed until the sun dipped and painted the sky in reds and oranges, then picked themselves up and returned to their friends; ready to go home.

Pike's Peak towered high above the other hills, its view over them was filled with lush grass and dense woodland.

"It's very green isn't it." Said Peter.

"Appears that way." Jasper replied.

"Okay!" Garrett peered over the crest of the mountain towards the West. "We should all jump in slightly different directions and meet in the middle a few miles out."

Kate sighed from her spot beside Bella. "I feel you are just overcomplicating at this point, love."

"There might be an army chasing us and I'd rather you not learn what it feels like to lose a limb, dearest." He replied without looking back. His mate huffed and rolled her eyes.

"Fine!" She called. "Why don't you boys jump down first? Bella and I will follow in a few minutes."

Garrett turned to give her a suspicious look, as did Bella. A few minutes delay would do literally nothing to disguise their scents.

The nomad eventually shrugged and gestured for Jasper and Peter to follow him. They leapt off the cliff at varying angles and landed on the ground far below.

Bella glared at her cousin. "Kate... Why are you being weird?"

She simply smiled. "He's very handsome, isn't he?"

"Who?"

"Jasper!"

Bella let out an awkward laugh. "We're vampires, aren't we all handsome?"

"You might be surprised." Kate grinned. "Different things are attractive in different times and some men end up looking very unfortunate for it. Your Jasper is lucky he has that timeless handsome face. And there was a time when tall men were not appreciated, you know."

"He's not my Jasper!" Bella protested, pulling away and making her way towards the cliff.

"Whether he is or not…" Kate smiled gently. "You must admit he is very handsome, surely."

"Sure." Bella sighed and nodded. "I admit that he is handsome. As is Peter, and Garrett, and you. Can we go now?"

Kate nodded. "Gather your skirts in your hand so you don't find yourself exposed on the way down."

Bella snorted at the image of their skirts ballooning under them like parachutes and did as she was told. They jumped, and hurtled through the air towards the boys. They landed facing west, and ran to Kansas.

Bella's dead heart wanted to thrum in her chest when she started to see trees and landmarks she recognised. They had run through the night and the early morning mist was settled over the ground. The world was obscured in a hazy grey and Bella almost felt as if she was dreaming. She was almost home, so close to home.

Minute after agonising minute, she counted, until the mist cleared and a quaint, wooden house with a wrap around porch swam into view. The sight of the house where Bella had felt so safe made her chest swell and her eyes well up in joy, but what brought her the most happiness was the sight of a willowy blonde man peering out back at her.

"Bella?" He called.

"Carlisle!" She shouted back and sprang into a sprint.

His face stretched into a grin and he leapt out to meet her half way. She was well aware of the loud crash when their bodies collided but it didn't matter because she was in her father's arms again. She was warm and she was loved and she was safe.

"Oh thank the Lord." He murmured into her filthy hair. "Thank heavens you're alive."

She couldn't have moved even if she wanted to. He held her tight as if she would fly away if not for his grip on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry I scared you…" She whispered into his chest. "I'm sorry this has been so hard."

"You never ever need to apologise to me." He replied and finally pulled back.

He cast his assessing eye over her, completely ignoring everyone else. There was only so much he could see through her clothing, but the arm that had been severed at the elbow had lost its sleeve. Though she was whole again; there was a thick jagged scar where her arm had split, along with a bite mark underneath. Carlisle traced his fingers over it, his face contorted in pain. He looked as if he might sob, but Bella clutched at his upper arms and shook him slightly.

"There's people for you to meet!" She whispered, and turned to guide him towards the men she had risked herself to find.

Carlisle's eyes turned intense, his hand tightened on Bella's. The boys looked unsure, Jasper especially; he must have been getting an awful cocktail of emotions from her sire. He exchanged a look with Peter, who stepped forward with a grim look on his face.

"I'm sorry, sir." He said, surprising everyone. "I understand it was us that Bella did this for. I am sorry she got hurt in the process."

Carlisle's grip loosened. Perhaps he needed to hear that.

"I suppose there was no stopping it." He murmured. "Peter, correct?"

Peter nodded and stepped forward to offer a hand to shake. Carlisle, as the proper English gentleman he was, accepted it with grace. Peter, with his superior intuition, just seemed to know how to handle him.

"It is good to finally meet you, son." Carlisle said. "Your friendship with my daughter gave me considerable comfort. I have heard a lot about you."

"And we you." Peter's signature smirk finally came out. "Bells never stops talkin' about her coven. We had to see what all the fuss was about."

"Well I hope we live up to expectations." Carlisle turned to Jasper, who was hanging back behind Peter, avoiding looking at everyone. "And you succeeded in bringing Jasper with you too. I understand you were the difficult one."

Jasper lifted shy eyes from the ground. "My apologies."

Bella dug her elbow into her father's side, silently insisting he stop hazing the poor man.

Carlisle rested a placating hand between her shoulder blades and extended his right one towards the soldier. "No need. It is good to have you with us."

Bella grinned and soaked in the scene she had daydreamed of for so long as Jasper gratefully accepted the offered handshake. Everyone she loved was finally in one place.

"Bella!"

Soft hands spun her around and she fell into Tanya's embrace.

"Look at you!" She squealed. "You're alive! You're intact! You escaped with your boys! You…" Her face dropped. "You smell different."

"I'm filthy!" Bella laughed.

"No, not like that." Tanya searched Bella; unafraid of looking under her clothing, fingering around the rips and stains in her shirt to find her various scars and injuries. "You were bitten. They marked you."

Bella sighed. "It's okay, Tanya."

"No it isn't Bella! This is permanent!"

Bella gripped the panicking woman's hands. "It was unavoidable."

"But it will never go away!" Tanya gasped out. "That horrible place will follow you until someone else marks you very thoroughly, and I assume that since your mate never did before he was not willing!"

That was a good point. Marking was an animalistic, instinctive action. It appealed to their baser nature as monsters and Edward shied away from it like the plague. Rose and Emmett had marked each other, Carlisle had marked Esme; but they just didn't. It wasn't a big deal, Jasper and Alice never marked each other either: although Jasper had certainly already been marked.

He had always smelled complicated to her, not that she ever thought too hard about it. In her innocence, she never fully grasped the idea that his scent was layered with the countless vampires that had ripped at his flesh, every bite had altered him at the molecular level. He held a piece of every fight he had ever fought. And now, thanks to the wars, she did too.

"I should never have let you go!" Tanya pulled Bella down into another hug, holding her like she would protect her from the world, despite being a few inches shorter than her.

Carlisle eventually caught their attention. "We have to go. The house in Canada is already prepared - Tanya, are you packed?"

She pulled away and heaved a sigh. "Yes. Allow me to gather our research and we can be off."

"Canada, huh?" Peter smirked.

"Looks like you're going as far north as possible." Bella grinned at him, then turned back to her frazzled father.

"Can we go through Montana?" She asked. "There's something I need to do."