-MAISIE-


My last day at Alaska Pacific University was hard. This had nothing to do with my chemical final exam, though I wasn't confident I had passed it. Not that it matters, I reminded myself. All the credits I had wracked up at APU were incompatible with transfer to the University of Iceland. Besides that, the APU credits belonged to one Maisie Thompson, who would soon be dead.

Maisie Whitlock would be the American transfer student to U of I, provided that Jenks was as skilled as Jasper believed. An American transfer student from a trust fund family, married young, with her husband and infant son in tow. Or so said the cover story Alice and I had been crafting each night when Jett went to sleep.

No, it wasn't the prospect of failing a final or losing my credits that made the last day hard. It was the last day of classes for the spring semester but also the last day of on-campus jobs. It was my last day in the campus library.

My last day with Mrs. Wortham.

The weekend before finals week, I studied in the car while Alice sped the entire way to Canada. Alaska was sorely lacking in proper shopping, a fault Alice and I both agreed on. So, we took a day trip to 'civilization', so that I could go to a proper jewelry store.

During my shifts when Mrs. Wortham and I were cloistered down in the basement together, she told me a lot of stories. And I did the same, giving her edited versions of my high school experience and meeting Jasper. Mrs. Wortham had especially loved the bit about how Jasper would carry my backpack when I had hurt myself on the beach, slicing my hand open on the rocky shore.

In one of these stories, though, Mrs. Wortham had described in detail a watch that her aunt—the woman who had raised her—had worn throughout her childhood. It had been lost to time and several moves but not to Mrs. Wortham's memory. I was always reluctant to use any of the Cullens' immense wealth, but for this one gift, I made an exception. Mrs. Wortham was the only person I loved I would be able to give a proper goodbye to… before.

With Alice's help, I commissioned a silver wristwatch edged with bottle-green jewels. I hoped it was a close replica of the one Mrs. Wortham's aunt had worn. Alice, with her eye for miniscule details, had wrapped the box so perfectly I felt it looked almost fake in my hand as I pulled it from my backpack. I swallowed down the queasiness at the thought that this would be the last time I walked down the crooked, chilly stairway to the library basement.

"Mrs. Wortham?" I called out, scanning the room for the older woman. She was tucked away in a dim corner, rifling through a large cardboard box. There was dust smeared on one lined cheek when she turned, smiling, toward me. That smile was almost enough to undo me, my chest going tight and my throat dry. I blinked back the tears stinging the backs of my eyes and forced a smile onto my face. "I brought you an end-of-the-year gift."

Trying desperately to cover my unease, I thrust the wrapped package forward. Her smile turned giddy, eyes shining behind her glasses. I swallowed, trying not to let my own smile falter as Mrs. Wortham took her gift from me. She opened it carefully, slowly undoing Alice's elaborate wrappings while I stood by wringing my hands in anticipation.

"You've helped me more than I could ever say," I told her, starting to ramble. "And you've been so kind. I.. I don't think I would have made it through the semester without you, without knowing I had this place to come to after my classes. You let me just be Maisie here, and I didn't realize how much I needed that until you gave it to me. So, um, I wanted to repay you, in a small way, for all you've done…"

By then, she had worked the wrapping paper open, meticulously sliding her thumb nail under each piece of tape. I had never seen anyone open a present as neatly as Mrs. Wortham had. My words drifted off as the black velvet jewelry box was revealed under the bright, floral-print paper. I was holding my breath by the time Mrs. Wortham began to lift the lid, unveiling the watch inside.

There was a moment when we both went silent and I was worried I had overstepped. But then Mrs. Wortham looked up at me, her eyes watery behind her glasses. It wasn't quite a smile—her lips were too wobbly for that—but the mingled surprise and joy were evident on her face.

"Oh, Maisie," she cooed, enveloping me in one of her soft, solid, powdery hugs. She held me tightly, cradling my head in the crook of her shoulder; she stood a whole head taller than me. There was a slight dampness seeping through my hair where her cheek met the crown of my head, but I didn't mind. Mrs. Wortham quickly composed herself and held me at arm's length to look me in the face. "What an absolute dear you are."

Of course, Mrs. Wortham didn't know this for the goodbye that it was. After I helped her secure the watch around her left wrist, we settled into the routine of the work that had consumed us for that entire last week of classes: packing away special collections that wouldn't be needed over the summer.

Our work had a rhythm. I sorted through and cataloged the books in alphabetical order while Mrs. Wortham boxed them up. She hummed while we worked and we chatted here and there. How was Jett? Was my dress finished? When would Gunner and Leah be flying in?

And so my final shift went by as all the others had since Mrs. Wortham had taken me under her wing. The difference this time was that, with my knowing this was our last day together, I was saddened rather than fortified. Mrs. Wortham hugged me again, thanking me profusely for the gift and fretting that I had spent too much on her. I reassured her that wasn't the case, and that I could never spend enough to repay all she had done for me.

"I expect the entire wedding album in my hands when the fall semester starts," she told me, framing my face with her soft, papery hands and planting a kiss on my forehead. I forced myself to promise that I would, knowing it for the lie that it was. The words burned in my throat. Still, I managed not to cry until I got to my car, so I still counted it as a win.

Very idly, I did wonder what my old high school friends would think of my 'death. I hadn't been good to them; they had all fallen to the wayside after we went our separate ways for college. Would Jess and Lauren be sad at all? Or would it be that faraway kind of regret, an 'oh, I knew her once, how sad'? But those thoughts always made me want to throw up, so I quickly pushed them from my mind.

Gunner is coming in a few days, I reminded myself. Right after Charlie and Sue's wedding. Until then, I just had to focus on not losing it. This feat was greatly helped by Jett, who was learning something new every day.

When I got home from that final shift with Mrs. Wortham, Jett was scooting around the living room in his walker. The wheels made a scritch, scritch sound on the wooden floors, his little legs working in double time to reach me. "Hi, Mama!"

"Hi, Jetty!" I lifted him from the walker, relishing in the tight hug he gave me as a second greeting. He loved his walker most, at the moment. What he really wanted to do was walk unassisted, but he had neither the core nor the leg strength to manage that yet. Didn't stop him from pulling up on every piece of furniture he could reach, though.

I carried Jett with me, listening to his half-words, half-gibberish babbles and nodding along when he paused for my answer. Jasper was easy to find in the kitchen, holding various pieces of paper up to the light and squinting at them.

"Training to become a paper connoisseur?" I asked, stopping just behind him and kissing the top of his head. Looking over the top of his blonde hair revealed a thick, creamy paper embossed with 'State of Maine' at the top. Maisie Lynn Brandon, it said. I was using Alice's human name as my false maiden name. Jasper was using his own birth name, so that his own fudged birth certificate read 'Jasper Whitlock'.

"Perusing Jenks' latest work," he explained. In the next moment, he caught Jett's curious hand over his shoulder, gently running his thumb over the tiny fingers. "Don't touch, Jett. We cannot tear our new life, hmm?"

Jett's new birth certificate was there, too, as well as our 'official' marriage certificate. There was a different one for us to use in a few weeks, the ones we would sign as Jasper Hale and Maisie Thompson. The one Gunner would sign, as my witness. The one I was trusted someone grab for me from the house when it was inevitably cleaned out after our staged deaths. I wanted the original one, from the wedding, but I felt like it would be a little suspicious to take it on our honeymoon with us, given this would be the setting for our deaths.

"Is it up to snuff?" I asked, peeking at the papers over Jasper's shoulder. They looked official to me, but Jasper had had decades of using Jenks' work. If there was anything amiss, I knew his critical eye would catch it.

"It will pass," Jasper declared, nodding to himself, and setting the papers straight before slipping them back into the protection of their padded manila envelope. I smirked behind his head, shifting Jett's weight on my hip. Had I not known how very well Jasper paid the man, I would think he was a relentless bully when it came to Jenks.

"You better pay that man's medical bills when you inevitably give him a heart attack." Along with Jett, I began rummaging through the refrigerator. Everything with Jett was a learning experience but we had figured out that he very much liked fruits and vegetables, but only fresh. Baby food was not his cup of tea by any means. I opened the various drawers for Jett, letting him lean forward in my arms to pick what it was he wanted to eat. Sometimes he went for new things, sometimes he went for his favorites.

"I'll do one better and fly in the best, mi amor, should it ever come to that." Today was a favorite's day. Jett came out of the fridge with blueberries and raspberries in his hands. He didn't much care for meat, which made sense. Half his diet was blood; all the nutrients he would have gotten from meat was instead supplemented by the blood. I plopped him into his highchair, giving him his chosen berries and a handful of whole-wheat baby cereal.

"What do you say, Jett?" Jasper prompted him, raising one scarred eyebrow. Jett smiled, showing off his Jack-o-lantern toothed grin.

"Tank yooooou!" He enthused before digging into his food. Jasper was big on Jett having good manners. This was good parenting, of course, but I mostly just liked the way Jett said 'thank you'. While Jett ate, I took a seat beside Jasper at the table. I rested my head on his shoulder, watching Jett pop berries into his mouth.

"You and Edward are leaving tomorrow morning, then?" I asked. They were waiting only on the documents from Jenks; now that Jasper had them in hand, he could start the process of our moving to Reykjavík.

"And Emmett," he tacked on. This was certainly news to me.

"Oh?" I knew he could feel my surprise. Not to mention my hesitation. But Jasper only laughed, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, and pulling me into him.

"Don't worry, mi amor. Rose will be tied up in New York for another week yet. She still has her own final exams to get through if she wants to join Carlisle and Edward's ranks of holding medical degrees." Rosalie, I knew, had taken medical classes before. She had never finished a degree, however, her self-control not having been strong enough. I did hope her latest attempt would be successful, and I was very thankful that medical school was so rigorous that it kept even a decades-old vampire busy.

I relaxed at that reassurance. Jett and I would have company in Jasmine and Alice, which was exactly the kind of company I wanted. I didn't think I would be able to handle going through the finer details of the wedding with Alice and Rosalie's overbearing tendencies where Jett was concerned.

Jasper didn't ask about my last day on campus, and for that I was thankful. I didn't want to talk about any of it, preferring to live through it and leave it behind me. Maybe later, in Reykjavík, I could speak of it. But not now. Right now, I needed to keep going forward.

So, in the morning, Jett and I sleepily sent Jasper on his way with his brothers before the sunrise. Then I wrapped Jett up in blankets in my own bed and we slept until midmorning, when Jett woke me with little pats on my cheek and a sing-song of "Mama, Mama, Mama".

I realized that, while Jasper spent every day with Jett while I was at school and work, I had never spent a whole day alone with him at home. That thought was more than a little daunting. Knowing how smart Jett was, I was worried I wouldn't live up to Jasper for him.

"You, Jetty, are going to go hiking today. That'll be fun, huh? Me, you, and your aunts. We have to go this morning, before the cloud cover breaks up." I took Jett downstairs and plopped him in his highchair before setting two packs of baby yogurt before him. I was almost certain written words had no meaning to him, but he knew the flavors by the colors and pictures of fruit on the packaging. With one hand, Jett wiped the sleep from his eyes, the other reaching for the blueberry flavored yogurt.

Spoons and feeding himself with utensils still eluded Jett. Between giving him spoonfuls of yogurt, I made a few bottles for the hike. Jett was dressed in layers, no small feat considering his habit of never sitting still during his waking hours.

"Leave it on," I chided him, intercepting the tiny hand that aimed to pull his tiny beanie off. "It's still cold in the mornings."

To that, Jett pursed his lips into a pout, but left his hat alone. His ire over the beanie was soon forgotten, though.

"Ah-lee!" He shouted, breaking Alice's name into distinct syllables. "Min!"

"Yeah, I told you that you would see them this morning." He reached toward them, hugging each in turn, wrapping his little arms around their necks. Jasmine helped me settle him into the carrier on my back, which Alice wrinkled her pert, tiny nose at.

"Jett's a fashion statement," I told her. "And besides, he likes it better than being carried in someone's arms when we hike. Me and Jasper always use it." The first time had been through the Amazon Rainforest, but we soon learned Jett liked hiking in Alaska—regardless of the weather—just as much.

"I wouldn't go so far as to say fashion statement," Alice argued, donning her cashmere scarf, hat, and gloves alongside her brushed wool coat, "but if it makes Jett happy, then it makes me happy."

I had braided my hair to keep it out of Jett's way. He toyed with one of the braids as we started off from my house, into the surrounding forest. Jasmine carried Jett's diaper bag for me, which I doubt he needed for a short morning hike. He usually fell asleep half-way through, lulled into his dreams from the rhythm of my walking. Sure enough, only a mile in, I felt Jett's weight slump against my back. Hiking naps were always his best naps, swathed in his layered clothing and cuddled up with someone. Of course, that meant he was full of energy during the afternoon, racing across the floor in his walker while I did laundry.

I needed to start packing for Isle Esme, where we would really be during our honeymoon. Alice, unprompted, had bought Jett a vacation wardrobe worthy of a baby model. I washed his shorts and light-weight shirts, the linen onesies and his assortment of rash guards and swim trunks. Once dried, they were carefully packed along with his sandals and a new collection of sunhats.

Alice had been just as generous with Jasper and I, and I was endlessly thankful for her exuberance in all things fashion. The only clothing we would have after the wedding would be what we took with us to the island. Between the hike and laundry, the day past quickly, so that it was dinnertime before I knew it.

"Okay, let's do our vampire duties, Jett." It had become a habit to take our blood together, mine in the only coffee mug we owned and Jett's in his bottle. He wasn't in the mood to be plucked from his walker to sit still. Instead, he continued his voyage of the entire first floor of the house, his bottle clutched in one hand. I followed him around, sipping on my own and making sure he didn't tip himself over in his wild enthusiasm. That hiking nap must have been great.

"Better be careful or you'll tire yourself out before Bluey," I told him, earning myself a rather mocking laugh in response. To be fair, I knew it for the empty threat it was. Jett had yet to ever miss his nightly episode of his favorite show, resorting to such countermeasures as rocking, bouncing, and shouting—only during the commercials, of course—to keep himself awake.

I took him with me to bed again at the end of that first day alone together, building a barricade of pillows on one side of the bed to keep him from rolling right off the side.

We passed the next three days in much the same routine of outdoor time and naps and various preparations for the wedding. Jasper came back sometime in the night. I only knew because he inadvertently woke me when he gently pulled Jett from my arms. I jerked awake, grabbing for him, trying to tighten my hold as a rush of adrenaline spiked through with fear washed over me.

"Shhh," Jasper soothed, the waves of fright subduing as he infused me with calm. "It's me, mi amor."

"Oh, sorry," I told him, letting Jett slip from my hold to Jasper's arms. Jett curled into the embrace immediately, sighing contentedly into Jasper's neck. "He's okay, he's been sleeping with me while you were gone."

"Spoiled," Jasper teased, running a hand over Jett's sleep-mussed curls. After pressing a kiss to those same curls, Jasper tucked Jett into his bassinette. "He was sleeping where I would currently like to be."

After toeing out of his shoes and slipping out of his clothes, Jasper joined me under the covers, wrapping his arms around my waist and snuggling his head into my chest, just as Jett had been sleeping. I shook with silent laughter, not wanting to wake Jett. "Are you telling me you're jealous of our baby?"

"Maisie, I'm jealous of anyone who has the privilege of occupying your time when I cannot." His words were muffled by my pajamas, which were comprised of one of his t-shirts. "Iceland will be much more to my liking when you are in it."

I ran my fingers through his hair, shivering at the wash of his breath over my skin. "Not so long now, hmm?"

"None at all." Jasper lifted his head, seeking my eyes in the dark. "Esme wanted me to ask, would you mind if she furnished the new house for us? I don't think we will have the time, before, and she rather hates the idea of us arriving at an empty new home. She's offering it as a wedding gift."

"Of course she can." I smiled softly at the thought, knowing Esme would create a space that was soft and homey for us to land after uprooting our lives. Twirling a strand of his hair around my finger, I continued, "I know we can't take much, but… I think Jett would realize if we replaced his favorite toys."

A father's pride warmed Jasper's features as he smiled. "He is rather astute. We'll pack what we can, and I'll have Edward ship for us."

"Edward has been highly useful lately. Perhaps we should keep him." Chuckling, Jasper tightened his grip on my waist and rolled the both of us so that we were facing each other in our bed. He kissed me softly on the lips before pulled the blankets more tightly around me.

"He will be thrilled to hear such high praise. Now, mi amor, you need to sleep, and I need to hunt. Alice will have my head if you don't look dewy and well-rested for the wedding."

"That's still two weeks away," I pointed out. "But thank you for thinking of Leah."

She and Gunner would be there tomorrow. In a subtle attempt to keep Leah as comfortable as possible, when surrounded with vampires, they all fed often to keep their eyes solidly golden. I wasn't sure if she noticed this gesture herself, but I was always appreciative of it on Leah's behalf.

"One day she might even accept that she, too, is part of this family." Jasper tucked a stray strand of hair off my face for me, bending to kiss me one more time before leaving for his hunt. Across the room, the rhythm of Jett's easy, deep breathing eventually lulled me to sleep once more.


It was sunny the next day, when Gunner and Leah were due to land in Alaska. As such, Jett and I went alone to pick them up from the airport. He liked to sing along to the radio in the car, trying to match the melody with mostly wordless singing. Inside the airport, he happily people-watched while we waited. Every now and then, when he thought something warranted my attention, he would tap me and say "Mama!" until I looked.

Most of the time, what he thought was important, was other babies and various dogs following their people through the crowded airport. Maybe he is more like me than I think, I thought, looking behind us to see the large husky Jett desperately needed me to acknowledge. We were both distracted enough by the energetic dog, happily accepting pets from new friends he made all around, that I didn't notice Gunner and Leah were walking toward us.

"Aren't you going to teach him any useful life skills?" Gunner's voice came from behind me, startling me enough that I jostled Jett in my arms. He was none too pleased to have his husky appreciation interrupted, giving me a grunt of displeasure and keeping his eyes trained on the dog.

"Acknowledging the greatness of animals is an important life skill, brother dear." I rolled my eyes at him, just to let him know how ridiculous his suggestion was. Gunner glared briefly in return, but then wide smiles broke out on both of our faces. Jett was further jostled, now squished between us as we hugged each other tightly.

"Mama!" Jett protested, squirming and giggling between us. Jett hadn't seen Gunner in months, but if our last visit to the Volturi was any proof, Jett had a fabulous memory. Sure enough, once Jett saw Gunner's face, he smiled just as wide as we had. "Hi!"

Jett happily hugged Gunner and Leah in turn, even asking Gunner to hold him. "Good," Gunner told him, settling Jett's weight in his arms. "I need to re-assert my status as favorite uncle, huh, little Jett Stream? Don't tell me Edward's taken my place. Wait, when's the last time he saw Emmett?"

"Edward is always overshadowed by Jasmine, so no worries there," I let him know, shouldering Gunner's bag so he could carry Jett unencumbered. "Emmett can—and will—give you a run for your money, though. Might wanna throw Jett around a bit. He loves when Em does that."

Leah and I followed Gunner to my car, where he immediately got into the backseat with Jett while we put their bags in the trunk. "I think Jasper and Edward would have aneurisms watching us carry the luggage. That whole 'gentlemanly manners' thing is way ingrained in those two. How was the wedding?"

"Really nice, actually. The guys all played nice, but I think that was more for Charlie and Seth's benefit than mine. Seth sent a gift, by the way. He wanted to come but Sam threw a huge fit about it, according to Mom."

My heart squeezed at that, the image of Seth Clearwater's sunshine smile surfacing in my mind. "He didn't have to do that."

"He wanted to," Leah reassured me. "Saved up his money and everything. Did I tell you he got a little job, on the Rez? He's been annoyingly proud of himself."

"Oh yeah? Good for him. He needs something else in his life besides the Pack." While I loved Seth and Leah, the same warm feelings didn't extend to the other members of the Quileute wolf pack. Their intentions were good—protecting the tribe and honoring their ancestors—but most of the older boys were jerks. The younger boys that comprised most of Seth's friends sounded much kinder.

"Agreed. I think having Charlie around will be good for him, too. He's always loved Charlie, and now they both have someone to go fishing with again." Neither of us brought up Bella or Jacob, silently choosing to ignore that thorn in our sides.

Since Gunner and Leah were staying in Alaska for two weeks, Jasper and I got them a house to rent out. Neither of us thought an air mattress in Jett's room or the couch were great options for such a long stay. Gunner tried to refuse at first, until I told him it would be a vacation from their 'adopted child'. The lure of true alone time, away from best friends and sisters alike, was enough draw to get Gunner to agree.

"Alice gets to torture you this afternoon," I reminded Gunner, "and then I'll take y'all to dinner."

"Is Alice a secret sadist?" Gunner asked nervously, working Jett out of his car seat for me.

"She's not going to stab you with her straight pins," I promised, "but she will pretend to be indecisive about fabric and stuff and make you stand still for painfully long periods of time if you complain."

"I think I can live through that. But it better be some good ass dinner."

I glared at Gunner over the top of Jett's head as he passed him to me. "There's a no cussing rule around Jett, and if he learns to say cuss words from you, I'm going to be pissed because everyone will be blaming me." This only served to bring a wicked grin to Gunner's face, though.

"Good." He had the courtesy to get his and Leah's luggage from the trunk and carry it for us this time. "I'm going to teach him every dirty word I know."