I don't own Twilight in any way. I'm just here for the feels.

EPOV

There are several airports in and around DesMoines but the one we landed in was north of the city, which made it easier to travel to Jefferson, Iowa. The city's inhabitants were sparse on the streets, I assumed due to the meteorite warnings. This was also fortuitous as I was able to race through the streets unhindered. I was able to quickly travel to route 30, and then to Jefferson, where I was able to easily find the river and track of trees surrounding it. I should be able to follow it straight to Bella assuming I wasn't pummeled by any large space rocks. I was to follow the river unless it curved too much to the north or the west. If it did, I would cut through the corn fields until I reached the cover of trees again. Alice assured me that I wouldn't be seen.The plan was to head straight northwest and reach Bella before she hit the curve pointed south southeast just outside of Sac City. If she hit the curve she'd have to jump out of the truck and chance an injury. If she hesitated she would risk being hit by a meteorite that is large enough to wreck her truck and create a crater 10 feet across. The trip would have taken 2 hours by car. I was cutting a half hour out of the drive time, and shaving 6 minutes off the time I had to reach Bella comfortably. I couldn't deviate from that 6 minute window. I needed to keep my ears open and my head on a swivel to keep from being hit with any rocks that were too big, or from being seen by any humans. The only time this might be problematic would be when I ran through Sac City, but the park and campground were under enough cover that I could get through undetected. When I reached the cemetery I was home free. From there I would beeline to the 20 and catch Bella on the road.

I parked in the Casino lot, closest to the Raccoon River as I was able. From there I ran along the 30 to the river. Once I reached the river I kept close to it and under the trees. I was about one quarter of the way when debris began to fall. The pieces were very small, like rain, and undetectable to humans ears and eyes. They were fairly spread out, at least a half a mile apart at first. As I continued down the track, the pieces became larger. I heard them hit the trees above me in more regular intervals, and the space between landing sites was slowly decreasing. Soon I spied a bend in the river that headed southwest and then turned northeast. I would be cutting through more cornfields more often at that point as the river snaked along at more regular intervals, and the chances of being hit was greater as my cover was gone. Thankfully after I jumped Dakota Ave, the houses became more sparse.

As I approached Sac City I was only hit a few times by small falling debris, and was feeling lucky. As I left the 71 behind, I was running straight for the cover of the river again through a large field. Just before I reached a quarry on my right and the river to my left, I heard a screaming whistle to my upper right. It was the size of a baseball and headed straight for my left frontal-periorbital area, threatening to shatter my eye socket and take half my head! Damn it! I knew I'd never find the pieces in time if I survived, so I instead jumped and attempted to push it off of my chest with my hands. My right hand cracked on impact and might have broken off if not supported by my left. The impact sent me flying 20 feet back, flattening the corn stalks under me! I left the rock in the middle of my stopping point, covered my tracks and ran like hell for the trees! Afraid to take any other shortcuts at the risk of loss of life and limb I stuck to the river. I couldn't risk anymore delays.

I was past the cemetery on the other side of Sac City, coming up to the 20 when a familiar horn began to sound. Based on the rate of speed the sound was moving, I modified my path to reach her at the exact moment she passed. Assuming that Alice had called her, and that this was the signal she'd alluded to. Behind her, a screaming meteorite headed in her direction.

BPOV

I made it to Broadus, Montana before I felt tired enough to take a nap. I found a coffee shop and slept in the truck on their lot for an hour. I set the alarm on my phone and when it went off, coffee was conveniently located. It looked like half the town was in the shop, discussing the asteroid. I tried not to listen to their arguments, but I learned that they made it to the surface of the asteroid and were going to use a bomb to direct it away from the planet. There was an elderly man who sat in a booth near the door; his back to the crowd who was arguing. He played with the 2 quarters in front of him, he looked a little sad. He looked up at me and smiled a little.

"You're not from this town."

"Yeah. Just passing through,"

"Going to meet up with your boyfriend?"

"Not exactly," What is it with older folks always trying to make you spill your guts? "He's not my boyfriend."

"How long will it take you to get there?"

"I'm not sure. The highways are congested so I'm taking backroads headed east." I was following my GPS but I didn't turn it on all the time because I didn't want my phone to go dead. I still had 88%.

"Highways that bad then?"

"Yeah, it's gridlock.

"You know, I used to drive truck cross country. You go to that gas station across the street, get a map and I'll mark which way to go." He said with a gleam in his eye.

"Get out!" he slowly nodded, and I ran. When I came back he took a pen out of his pocket and marked all the backroads I could take to get as far as the suburbs south of Chicago, then I'd have to head around Lake Michigan.

"After that your best bet would be to take 90 through Toledo and Erie, to Waterford. Take the 6 to the 86 and you're there."

"Thank you so much for this." I said as I folded the map into a square so I could see it easily from the seat.

"Hey, that's alright." he said as I hugged him. "My name is Henry. Do it for love, Young Lady"

"I'm Bella. And I am." I admitted, my face turning red.

"I knew that," he said with a chuckle. "Good luck Bella."

I waved goodbye and took the route Henry showed me. I stopped at the place he circled to gas up and kept driving. I drove for hours through Montana and then South Dakota. Soon I was coming up to Vermillion, South Dakota, making much better time. I was ready for a break so I stopped for a coke and some more gas. I turned on my phone and checked the time at the gas pump. I had been driving for 8 hours, I figured I could drive for 4 more before I might need another nap. When the pump stopped I pulled the receipt and headed into the store for the coke. Afterward I was back on the 20, headed for Sioux City. When I got there it was a ghost town. Driving through was easy compared to the other towns, which I thought was a little strange. No traffic, no people. Maybe there was news. I didn't have a radio, but I had forgotten to turn off my cell. I could google a radio station if I had a signal. I pulled my bag into my lap to grab my phone. I had to fish for it. I pulled my phone out as it began to buzz. I didn't recognize the number, then realization struck as my heart began to pound. It couldn't be. I pushed the green button and put it to my ear. "Hello?"

"Bella, you were right!"

I dropped the phone.

I saved it before it clattered to the floor.

"ALICE?! What the HELL?"

"I know, but you dropping the phone lost us precious moments.Do you trust me?"

"YES!"

"Then follow my directions to the letter. When we end the call, lay on your horn for five seconds, count to nine Mississippi, then drive toward the embankment on your right, and jump out."

"Just like my dream." I whispered.

"Yes Bella, now remember your instructions. Horn, nine, jump. See you soon!"

The call ended and I pressed the horn, "Holy shit!" As I reached 5 seconds I released it and counted my Mississippi's. That's when I noticed I was surrounded by yellow and green fields, it was a sunny day. Just like my dream. I said 9 Mississippi at the same time I put my crossbody over my head and headed toward the embankment, a deep irrigation ditch. I opened my door and jumped, nearly sliding on the grass as I hit something hard and shiny.

Then I was flying. The world around me was blurred, but that was second to the explosion! My truck was smashed, but that's not what made the pavement buckle as I looked back from arms so hard, so cold, they could only be a vampire's. I pushed my face into their neck and held my breath until we stopped in a grove of trees, the arms slowly released me and set me against a tree. I looked up into the most beautiful face I'd ever seen. I scrubbed my eyes in disbelief and looked at him. I began to hyperventilate, my heart swelling as his hands framed my face.

"Are you ok? Are you hurt? I'm sorry it was so close, I was knocked over." he used his thumbs to wipe the tears that had begun falling from my cheeks. "Please tell me you're ok Bella, please," he begged, worry written all over his face.

"How? I thought it was Alice?" I sniffed, "Edward, it's you! What are you doing here?!" I wrapped my arms around him and held him to me.

"You were in trouble," he awkwardly put his arms around me, "I couldn't… I couldn't let you be alone. The meteorite was going to hit you. I'm sorry about your truck, it was the only way."

"Of course," I pulled away, my heart sinking, I put my hands behind my knees. "Alice must have told you. I'm sorry, I… I just didn't want to be alone... here at the end of the world." I took a deep breath and looked at him, he had pity written on his face, his head shaking back and forth. My heart, my chest felt so cold and empty, I'd plead if I had to. "Please, please Edward, I can't go back home, please can I stay with you? I mean... you and your family?" the tears began to well up again as his brow furrowed, his refusal wasn't far behind. "I just don't want to be alone anymore, and I miss them, I miss you!" I sniffed and wrapped my arms around myself, "Don't send me away, please. I can't be alone at the end, I don't want to be without you!"

"Bella," his arms encircled me as I sobbed in earnest, "You're not alone, I'm here," He pulled me into his lap and stroked my hair, my back, "shh, its ok. No one is leaving. I could never send you away." He took my face in his hands, "Don't you know, silly girl?" His face crumpled, and if he had the ability to shed tears, I swear he might in that moment. His breath hitched, and he let out a sorrowful breath. "I can't survive in this world without you anymore." His voice broke when he continued, "Please Bella, forgive me for what I've done to you! You were right all along! I can't bear being separated from you a moment longer," his breathing hitched again, "Please let me stay with you, I'll spend my existence atoning for my deeds, just allow me to stay!"

"You don't… you're not going t.. to send me away?" I couldn't understand what he was saying.

"Bella I couldn't tolerate being separated from you again, every moment was agony. I was hollow inside without you, it was torturous, my chest ripped open and raw. Please forgive me, please let me come home to you?" He stared into my eyes, hands gently caressing my face, pleading for me to let him come home.

I took his wrists in my hands and kissed his palms, and then my arms were around his neck, one hand in his hair, holding him as close as I could. "Please come home." I felt his own hand on the back of my head threaded through my hair. His other arm around my waist, as finally, finally, I began to feel whole again. We sat there for a time breathing deeply allowing our sobs to quiet, calming our fears. "We can't ever be apart again," I said.

"I know, I promise." he answered, pulling away and looking at me, "My beautiful Bella, how I've missed your eyes, your smile, I've been adrift without you." He kissed me once, closed his eyes and pressed his forehead to mine. I heard him whisper, "I promise to never leave you again."

"If you ever did, I couldn't survive it, I've been so lost."

"As have I. Oh my love, what would they do with us?"

"Say it again," I whispered, my lips close to his, "please."

"My love, my life, there is only you," he kissed me again, "for eternity if that is your wish. I will love you for every day of it"

"I love you Edward," and then his lips pressed hard against mine, his hand cradling my head while he positioned me closer on his lap, but not close enough because the next moment I was straddling him, our lips moving against each other's. I felt his chest rumble and the purr in his throat as he gently pressed me tighter. His hands and forearms clutching my back, my own fisted in his hair. I moaned at the feeling and suddenly I was on my back in the grass, Edward's chest breathing against my own, his tongue gaining purchase in my mouth and pressing against mine. He let out a growl when he heard me moan a second time. Supporting the back of my neck with one arm and the other pressing the small of my back, my hips, into his torso. The feel of him rolling his own hips closer to mine was exquisite. I had never felt so free, so alive. I pulled away for air and he kissed down my neck to my collar bone and to the hollow of my throat, and suddenly we were sitting up again, his face pressed against my chest, listening, pushing my sternum against his cheek. That's where he stayed, mumbling about 'the most beautiful sound,' until my breathing returned to normal. My hands and lips in his hair.

Too soon he pulled away, "The others are on their way here," he had me standing in a second with his hands around my waist, whispering 'I love you's' in my ear, lightly kissing just below it. Suddenly a bright flash burst in the southern sky, close to the horizon, moments later, a low but loud boom.

"Is that it? Did it enter our atmosphere? Is this all we have left of each other?" I clutched him tighter.

"They did it." Alice said to my right and I whipped my head around in shock. "They knocked it off course. As I was telling Edward a couple of days ago- OOF!" I cut her off as I entered her cold arms. "They only had a small chance of failure." She giggled, "Oh Bella, I missed you!"

"Alice!" she didn't notice when I tried to push her away to look at her face, so I hugged her again, "so we're not going to die?" This time she did pull away.

"Not unless you want to, Bella." She winked and looked to Edward as he secured his arms around my shoulders and waist.

"Let's talk about it when we get to Connecticut with the rest of the family." he suggested.

Connecticut. "I was right about Connecticut? I was right about everything?"

"Everything but dying, but I have my theories about that." She said, straightening her back and hopping onto her toes before she gracefully moved away from us in a grand jeté toward the road.

I smiled at Edward as he chuckled under his breath and began to follow her. "It's sunny closer to the Range Rover." He said as he took my hand, kissing it.

"You can run, I'll be there in a moment." Edward scoffed before picking me up and racing me to the car, placing me in, and shutting the door before I registered that he had scoffed in the first place.

"As if I had the ability to be away from you now," he purred in my ear, sending goosebumps down my neck.

I was in the back of an SUV with tan leather seats and dark tints. In the driver's seat diagonally from me sat Jasper, smiling. Reaching for my hand and squeezing it as a puff of brotherly affection hit me.

"I missed you too, Jasper." He smiled and I know he felt my happiness at seeing him, then his smile turned sad.

"Bella I'm so sorry about yer birthday," he started as I put my free hand up.

"I forgave you for that a long time ago, please don't give it a second thought." I smiled and squeezed his hand again.

He smiled back and said, "well alright." And that's all we needed.

I'm hoping this extra long chapter, and the contents within, will convince you to forgive the delay. Being a nurse in this pandemic is exhausting, but all I think about is this story. So every break I have is writing bits and pieces. I tweaked this chapter quite a bit and decided it would work best with 2 POVs. Next up will be a small debrief and reunion. I'm thinking only 1or 2 chapters to go!

Music for this chapter is The Dog Days are Over, Florence and the Machine.