Chapter 18 - Your Hand in Mine

"So, tell me again about this hot sex on a platter thing?"

I look over my shoulder at Emmett as I descend the front steps of my house, rolling my eyes. "Really? That's the part of my conversation with Jess and Lauren that sunk in? Out of everything I told you yesterday?"

"Hey, I think it's great they've come to their senses, and you're on the road to best friendship again. You know that. So sue me for also thinking it's great that Jess recognizes the hotness." He emphasizes this modest statement with a wide, playful smile and runs his hand down his chest before smacking his stomach.

"Well, take that with a grain of salt. She also thinks Mike is the hottest thing since Ryan Gosling in The Notebook," I tease, flipping the hood of my rain jacket up. There's a fine mist falling from the gray morning sky, and I can feel my hair deciding whether it wants to get frizzy or not.

Emmett grins, not at all insulted, and uses his much longer legs to stride past me. I know exactly what he's going to do even before he gets to the passenger door of his Jeep and opens it for me. I stop in front of him, pulling his hat off his head and then placing it backwards so I can get to his mouth. He ducks back, keeping those warm lips just out of reach, and gently grasps my arms.

"Do you think I'm hot sex on a platter?" he asks, raising an eyebrow.

I purse my lips thoughtfully. "A little bit."

"A little bit?" he presses, pulling me closer and wrapping his arms around my waist.

"A lot bit," I admit with a grin. I can't lie to him, not when he's looking down at me with soft eyes and that adorable boy smile, tiny droplets of water catching in his stupidly long eyelashes.

"Well, I trust your taste in guys." He pauses and then smiles impishly. "Or, at least now I do."

"Ooh, thinly veiled ex insult. One point for McCarty."

He wiggles his eyebrows and places a quick kiss on my lips, then pushes the heel of his hand against my hip. "Get in the car, Hale. I thought you wanted to get to school early."

I peel away from him, grumbling, and hop up into the passenger seat, buckling my seat belt. When I told Emmett last night on the phone that I wanted to get to school a little early in case Lauren and Jess were there and wanted to talk, he'd offered to drive me. It was a completely unnecessary offer, but extra alone time with him isn't something I'll ever turn down.

Emmett waits until I'm done getting situated, his hands now braced on the door frame, and then leans in.

"Want one for the road?" I guess.

"Please," he replies, the tone of his voice both asking and demanding it.

"You're so needy," I tease, smiling as his face comes closer to mine.

"Yep." He shrugs, unapologetic, before his lips meet mine. I feel the corners of his mouth turn up as he continues to kiss me, and I know mine are doing this same. Reluctantly he pulls away, spinning the brim of his hat forward. "Let's get a move on, Hale. Otherwise we won't get to school early, and I know that's important to you."

He shuts the door and taps the roof of the Jeep before jogging to the driver's side. The drive to the school only takes about ten minutes, and he relays his after-school schedule for the majority of it, knowing I like to know when we'll get to spend time together.

We're nearly at school when I reach into my bag, rooting around for my phone. "I think I'll text Jess and see where th..." I trail off, realizing that I'm a dumbass who plugged it into my mom's charger rather than my own. When Emmett showed up, my routine was completely thrown off. "Crap! I left my phone at home."

"Crap," Emmett echoes. "How's that even possible? I thought you had that thing surgically attached to your hand."

"Don't mock," I say as I lean back on my seat, my arms crossed, pouting. "Someone was distracting me this morning and I was excited."

He shakes his head and grins. "Mmmhmm, I bet you were. So this is my fault?" His fingers tweak my knee and he gets the giggle he's looking for before I remember I'm supposed to be pouting. "Well listen, what can we do to fix it? Do you want me to turn around? Or you could borrow mine, although it's nowhere as fancy as yours."

I push out my bottom lip a little more for dramatic effect. "No, I should really just get to school in case they're already there." Then I breathe loudly, my shoulders sagging in mock-defeat. "Everything is ruined now. Sigh."

"Did you just say 'sigh' out loud?" My eyes narrow and I look over at him out of the corner of my eye. I can tell he's trying hard not to laugh at me. He shakes his head and drums his fingers on the steering wheel. "God, you're cute."

"I'm not cute. I'm pouting!" I'm also whining, but that's beside the point. "I'm annoyed at myself."

He pulls into the school's parking lot and I see Lauren's car. I look at Emmett to see that he's noticed it, too. After he shuts the engine, he releases his seat belt, turning so he's facing me. "Ro, you've got to relax. Consider it a detox from technology for a day. If something that important happens to you today, someone will get in touch with you, somehow. What's important right now is that you get in there and talk to your friends. Get your head in the game."

"You're right."

"I know I'm right," he says before pausing for the tiniest of seconds. "I'm also hot sex on a platter."

I groan, unbuckling my seat belt. "God, Jess has created a monster."

"Some would say a beast." He grins cheekily and then he's gone, slamming his door and jogging around to my side. I hop out before he can go all white knight on me, meeting him at the front of the Jeep, and he gives me a teasingly reproachful frown that I kiss away.

We're quiet as we make our way across the parking lot, our clasped hands swinging between us. When Emmett opens the glass door that leads inside, he catches my eye and we grin goofily at each other.

"What?" I ask when he keeps looking at me, now out of the corner of his eye since we're walking.

"What?"

I raise an eyebrow. "Do you always answer questions with questions?"

He nudges my shoulder with his arm. "Only when it makes you smile."

His dimples flash as he says this, his own smile wide, and I know he catches the reference, is remembering the conversation we had in this same hallway what feels like forever ago. I remember, too, what it felt like to walk with him then. How my heart pounded just having him close to me. But unlike before, I can touch him now, can keep my hand in his and not worry about who doesn't know, because everyone does. I can be completely his.

And I am.

I'm still smiling when we round the corner. Lauren and Jess are waiting for me at my locker, deep in conversation. Lauren is slouched against my locker, drumming her fingers absently against the metal door while Jess waves her hands animatedly. A few doors down, Alice and Jasper are waiting at Emmett's, their heads bent close together.

It's so familiar, the same type of scene I would have walked up to before all of this happened. But it's so different, too, because when I walk up to Jess and Lauren, Emmett is right beside me. Jess catches sight of us first and smiles, a little hesitant but genuine.

"Rosie Posie!" she exclaims, lightly yanking on a strand of my hair. Her eyes flicker over to Emmett and she tilts her head, her smile widening a bit. "Morning, Em."

"Hey, Jess," he replies. It's casual on the surface, but I feel the weighted meaning of their exchange. He turns to Lauren, who's straightened up and is watching the scene unfold with a cautiously blank look on her face. "Hey, Lauren."

My gaze bounces past them to Alice and Jasper, who are watching all of this unfold with amused grins. Alice catches my eye and winks, snapping her fingers dramatically, a la West Side Story. I bite my lip to keep from laughing, but I can't help the soft snort that escapes.

"Hey." One corner of Lauren's mouth twitches up, almost against her will. It's there, though. It's a start. She gently kicks the toe of my ballet flat with her own. "You walking with us to homeroom?"

"Yeah, let me just grab my books." I swing my bag around to unload the ones I don't need until later while they both shift to stand in front of the next locker over. Lauren reaches over and spins the lock on my locker, popping it open while Jess does a wonderful Vanna impression.

Emmett looks over toward his locker where Edward and Bella have joined the others, and then back to me. He doesn't say anything but his eyes silently ask me what I want him to do. Stay or go? I give his hand a reassuring squeeze and lean into him.

I'm okay. I've got this.

"I'll see you at lunch?"

"Yep. Remember, no phone. So if you need me, send a smoke signal or something."

He tilts his head, so his mouth is right at the shell of my ear and whispers, "I'll always need you." Then he pulls away and the soft expression on his face gives away that he's said something incredibly sweet. I see Jess nudge Lauren in the ribs with her elbow in my periphery. Emmett smiles at the three of us and says, "Later."

"Bye, Emmett," Jess trills out as he makes his way to his locker, and he puts his hand to the back of his neck, all aw shucks.

Lauren stares at Jess for a second and then her attention slides to me. "I think Jess has a crush on your boyfriend." It's not snide, like we all know she can be; it's just Lauren's brand of humor. She's attempting a joke. She's trying.

It says a lot without her saying much at all.

After I've grabbed my books, we walk down the hall together toward our homerooms. Lauren doesn't thread her arm through mine like she normally does, like she would have before. She and Jess cocoon me on either side instead, our arms and shoulders bumping intermittently. It's different, but it's a start.

xoxo

"Six or eight?" Jess asks later, as we make our way to the lunchroom.

"I'm absolutely not answering that."

"Why not?"

"Because it's none of your business," I state, primly adjusting the strap of my bag. Even though I just ditched my books at my locker, it still feels like it weighs a million pounds.

Jess stops in the middle of the hallway, one hand going to her hip. "It's a valid question, Posie."

Lauren rolls her eyes, continuing her slow mosey toward the lunchroom. The sway of her hips screams, I'm so tired of this subject. "You're asking if Emmett has a six-pack or an eight-pack. In what world is that valid, Stan?"

"I'm just taking an interest in Posie's relationship," Jess replies, skipping to catch up with us when she realizes we're not going to stop for her. "Excuse me for living."

"I'll be sure to pass that information on to your boyfriend. I'm sure he'll be very interested to hear about your interest in Posie's boyfriend's abs."

Jess waves Lauren off with an irritated snort. "Please, Mike knows he's the future Mr. Stanley."

"Whatever, can you stop dawdling? I'm starving." Lauren moans dramatically, gripping my arm and pretending to swoon. The contact surprises me a little; she's been vacillating between lukewarm and chilly since we made up, but this feels almost...normal.

"No wonder you're in such a bitchy mood." Jess purses her lips thoughtfully, tapping her chin. "God, you must be hungry all the time."

Lauren frowns but keeps her grip on my arm. "Aren't you cute? This is me being nice, remember?"

"Wow, they are so closely related, it's hard to tell sometimes," Jess shoots back.

I smile at their back and forth but stay quiet, remembering Mallo's vow to be nicer and how that had panned out only a few weeks ago. But maybe her resolution is really, finally and truly, kicking in. One can only hope.

We're just through the lunchroom doors when I see Edward pushing through the crowd of oncoming traffic. My eyes scan the people directly behind him, looking for Emmett, but I don't see him anywhere. He must be buying lunch or sitting at the table already. Lauren waves her hand over, stepping forward to greet him with enthusiasm, despite her hunger pains. Apparently, he's always going to be her guinea pig. "Edward! It's great to see -"

But he plows past her and grabs my arms with both hands. "Rosalie, did Emmett find you?" The urgency and seriousness in his voice scares me, makes my heart stop and my blood rush to my head.

"What? No, we were going to meet here. Why?"

His eyes widen a bit and he releases me to run a hand over his hair. "Shit. Okay, don't panic..."

Why do people say that? Don't panic. Because of course, the panic welling in my chest is immediate, as soon as the words are out there. My mind races with possible scenarios that could have happened, all of them more insane than the next. He's looking at me, trying to assess if I'm going to freak out and clearly not talking fast enough. "What's wrong? Did something happen?"

"I don't know details but, uh, Gram's in the hospital. I'm trying to reach my dad to get something, anything, but yeah... Emmett got a call just before lunch and he tried to call you before he went over there, but then he remembered you left your phone at home. He was going to try and find you before he left, but -"

"What?"

He repeats the words, but I'm shaking my head, just repeating "what?" over and over again, each time more high-pitched and panicked than the last, like somehow that will change what's being said. Then there are voices, other voices, the voices of Jess and Lauren. They sound so far away. I feel a cool hand on my arm, but all I can think about is Emmett, how scared he probably is, and how if something is really wrong with Gram, I don't know what he'll do. He probably doesn't know, either. If I feel this way, I can't imagine how he's feeling right now, all alone.

And how I forgot my stupid phone at home and was acting like that was a first world problem.

"I have to go."

Edward head bobs up and down in a nod, his brows pulled down low over his eyes. He doesn't say how worried he is for Gram and Emmett, but he doesn't have to. It's written all over his face, probably a reflection of my own expression.

"I have to go," I repeat more urgently, stepping sideways blindly. Lauren is right there; we crash into each other at the hip and shoulder, but she doesn't huff or tease me. Her hand cups my elbow while I remember that not only do I not have my phone, but I don't have my car. "Shit, my car. Emmett drove me this morning. I don't have my car."

"I'll -"

Jess puts one hand on Edward's shoulder to stop him, placing her other hand on my arm. "It's okay, Pose. We'll get you there, okay? Mallo and I will take you."

Edward scratches just below his ear, his gaze dancing from Jess to Lauren. Then he looks at me. "Cool with you, Ro?" His tone is casual, but I know he's worried. Last he knew, Lauren and Jess were still giving me the silent treatment.

"It's fine," I reply, shooting him a grateful look.

He pulls me into a brief, tight hug, his voice quiet against my hair. "I'm sure it's going to be fine, but take care of him, okay? And let us know what's going on when you can."

I swallow the lump in my throat, painfully. "Okay."

Edward draws back and pats his pockets until he finds what he's looking for: his phone. He presses it into my hand and I look up at him, questioningly. "Call us? Bella's in my favorites. Hell, she's my only favorite besides my parents. Anyway, she'll keep her phone on for the rest of the day. And if you need anything," his eyes flicker over to Jess and Lauren for the very briefest of seconds before returning to me, "...call. Also, my dad should be over there, so if you run into any trouble, have him paged."

I whisper a quiet thanks before hugging him quickly once more.

Jess and Lauren flank me on either side as we walk away from the lunchroom and toward the parking lot, but my pace is faster than theirs, more desperate. By the time we get outside, I'm five paces ahead of them. Lauren's Audi glistens underneath the falling mist.

"Are we going to get back in time for English?" I hear Lauren murmur.

There's silence, and then Jess's short reply. "I have no idea, Lauren. We'll figure it out when we get her to the hospital."

"My mom's going to kill me if she gets a call from the school, just so you're aware."

I get to the car and pull on the door handle, expecting it to be unlocked already, even though I didn't see the telltale flash of taillights. But Lauren's still digging around in her bag while watching Jess, whose expression has turned stormy.

"Your mom will understand. We need to be there for Rose." Jess gives Lauren what she thinks is a secret, pointed look, and for a moment, I think they've forgotten I'm here. But then Lauren's eyes meet mine, and her expression softens, and she looks more like my best friend than she has in a really, really long time.

"Right," she replies, almost as if to herself. There's a short beep and a gentle click and then I'm sliding into the front seat. I don't even care that Lauren drives like a complete maniac and that the passenger seat is the most dangerous. I hope she drives fast. I need her to get me there.

I want to see Emmett. To touch him and hear him say that everything is okay, that it was just a scare and Gram forgot to take her medicine again. That this is all precautionary, and Emmett isn't in danger of losing the most important person in his life.

Jess wonders aloud, "I don't get it. Why aren't Emmett's parents dealing with this?"

"They're -" I halt, not wanting to say too much but knowing that I have to give my friends something to work with. I've learned that, at least, in the past week. "They're not really in the picture."

Jess lets out a small oh but says nothing else. Neither of them do.

I don't realize I'm crying until I feel a hand on my knee. I look down at it, at the pale pink polish on them, and then up at Lauren. "Get it all out now," she says. Her tone is matter-of-fact and a little brusque, but she squeezes my leg reassuringly. "He's going to need you to be strong when you get there."

So I do. I cry because I'm scared and because I don't know what's going on, because I do want to be strong for him, and I can't do that if I'm a blubbering mess. I half expect Jess to tease me about the tears rolling down my cheeks - she's pointed out in the past that I've got the biggest, most dramatic tears she's ever seen. But she just rubs my arm from shoulder to elbow, in long, soothing strokes that make my ragged breaths come easier.

I hit Emmett's number a few times in succession, but the calls immediately get bounced to voicemail. After I push the screen yet again, Jess leans her head against my seat and whispers something about a hospital rule requiring cell phones to be off in the Emergency Room.

Then she scoots back and re-buckles her seat belt with a comment under her breath about how it's a good thing we're headed to the hospital because Lauren might land us there.

The rest of the ride is quiet, and true to Lauren's driving record, she gets us there far faster than we should. Instead of pulling into the parking lot, she swings a wide left and stops in front of the Emergency Room entrance. "Go on, Posie." Wide-eyed, I look at her and she runs her pointer finger along my cheekbone before rubbing off errant eyeliner. "Stan, go with her. I'll park the car and meet you in there."

The automatic doors silently slide open, welcoming Jess and I to an otherwise quiet atrium. I remember the last time I'd been to the hospital's Emergency Room was when Mike misjudged the distance of a cannonball into the pool after the Newtons added the grotto and whacked his head on the edge of the slide. I know that Jess is remembering that, too, because her hand slides into mine as we make our way to the desk.

The receptionist smiles pleasantly at us, though we can both tell it's guarded, all the while scanning us to see if we're potential patients. "Good afternoon, girls..." She trails off, seemingly waiting to see what she's in store for. I'm sure they see all kinds of hysterical people here, but at the moment it seems pretty quiet.

I place my hands on the desk and summon my very best adult voice. "We're looking for Imogen Connolly. I think she came in a bit ago."

"Okay." She types something on the keyboard, and then clicks her mouse several times. Her expression gives away nothing and it reminds me of Edward, only with this woman, it's way more annoying. "Are either of you family?" Jess and I exchange a glance, which is enough of an answer for her. "You can sit in the waiting room and when there's a quiet moment, I'll let the family know you're out here."

Jess and I exchange yet another look and I know we're both thinking the same thing: A quiet moment? The place isn't exactly hopping.

"Isn't there any way you can let him know now?" I ask, leaning over the desk. I give what my dad calls my "can't I have it?" look - wide eyes, hopeful smile - but the woman just blinks at me and then looks back at her screen, her fingers flying over her keyboard. The gentle tap, tap, tap of the keys sounds so loud in the otherwise silent room.

"You can sit in the waiting room until I let the family know, miss," she repeats firmly.

I want to tell her that "the family" is one boy. I want to reach over the counter and shake her, yell at her to let me go to him now, because I'm here for him and he needs me. It's my turn to be the rock, but what good am I if I'm stuck in the waiting room?

Jess must sense that I'm about to launch myself on this woman, because she tugs on my wrist gently, and then not so gently. "She's not going to get you in any faster if you piss her off," she murmurs under her breath.

"But he's waiting for me," I protest, saying it loudly so that my voice will carry back to the receptionist.

"And she'll get him. I bet we'll only have to wait for a few minutes, and if it's more than that, I'll go back and bug the shit out of her." Jess squeezes my wrist, her dark eyes wide. She's giving me her "can't I have it?" look now, and it works. I feel my shoulders sag and all of my anger leaks out in one long, slow breath.

"Fine. Five minutes and then I'm throwing a fit."

"I'll totally help you." Jess smiles, releasing my wrist so she can wrap her arm around my waist. As we make our way toward the waiting room, she adds, "Or Mallo will help you, since we both know she can tantrum like no one else."

I sniffle-laugh at the knowing look she gives me, collapsing into the first chair I see. She sits next to me, taking my hand, and we sit there in silence. My gaze bounces from the reception desk to the clock on the wall and back again. I wasn't kidding about the five-minute limit.

Lauren joins us a minute and a half later, sliding into the seat on the other side of me with a sigh. She doesn't say anything, but her eyes go to Jess's and my hands. I catch the flicker of sadness on her face when she looks away. I'm surprised by how much that show of emotion affects me, and how much I need her strength right now, so I grab a hold of her hand, too. Her grasp isn't as tight as Jess's, but she doesn't let go.

"This is taking too long," I say fretfully, my knee bouncing up and down. "Why can't I just go to him?"

"Just a couple more minutes," Jess replies soothingly. I can't tear my eyes away from the clock, so I don't know if she sees me nod or not.

"You really care about him, don't you?"

Lauren's voice startles me out of my obsessive counting of the seconds. I turn to find her watching me thoughtfully, her head tilted slightly. Her eyes travel over my face, like it's written there. It probably is.

"I love him." My voice is tremulous. Lauren nods; she doesn't look surprised, and that surprises me. We're quiet for a moment until my inhale echoes around us. "I'm sorry you found out the way you did."

She nods again, her eyes fixed on the vending machine across the room. The fingers of her free hand tap against the arm of her chair, making a hollow, tinny sound. "I'm sorry you didn't think we'd understand," she says finally, her gaze moving to me. I can plainly see the hurt in her eyes, and my own tear up.

"Do you now?"

Jess squeezes my hand, and Lauren lets go, leaning forward to rest her elbows on top of her knees. She props her chin in one hand and shrugs, but doesn't respond immediately.

"I'm getting there," she replies finally. "It's just a lot to take in, I guess."

"But we're here for you now," Jess adds, shifting her seat so that she's leaning forward, too, looking at Lauren before focusing her attention back on me. "You know that, right?"

The lump in my throat is thick, and I swallow a couple times before murmuring, "I know."

And right now, I do. No matter what they think of my relationship with Emmett, regardless of whether they're still upset with me, still figuring out ways to come to terms with this truer version of me, they're sitting here. They're here.

We sit in silence and I watch the second-hand tick mercilessly around the clock. 37, 38, 39. If it hits 1 again and I'm not standing next to Emmett, that lady is going to have hell to pay. I turn my attention to her desk, ready to shoot eye-daggers in her direction, but she's not there. My only hope is that she's gone to track down Emmett, not pranced off to the cafeteria to pick up lunch.

44, 45, 46.

The mechanical grinding of the automatic doors that lead back to the Emergency Room draw my attention, and before they're completely open, I see Emmett muscling his way through them. His head is bowed and I can't see his eyes because his hat's brim is in the way; he's closing in on himself. I'm vaguely aware that Desk Lady is a few paces behind him.

On either side of me, Jess and Lauren simultaneously reach for and squeeze my hands before I stand and let them go. Lauren whispers "remember, be strong"and Jess's fingers linger just a second longer in my hand.Walking doesn't seem to be getting me there quickly enough, so I trot toward him while he makes his way over to the waiting room.

My mind is racing with questions, with words, both encouraging and sympathetic. I have everything to say, but nothing that feels right spring to mind. I don't know where to start.

But before I need to figure out the words, he pulls his hat off and stuffs it in his pocket; I can see his face clearly: distraught, sad, needing. Lost. I've never seen him like this.

So I do rather than say. He tries to speak, starts to say my name, but his voice breaks as I wrap my arms around his waist and press my face into his neck. We stand there, holding each other quietly while I feel the rhythmic thump of his heart slow from its racing. One hand moves from where it fell on my back to my hair as his cradles my head.

"You're here."

Pulling back slightly, I raise a finger to his lips and tap, giving him a soft smile. "I'm here."

We don't talk about how unfortunate it was that I left my phone at home, nor do we mention Lauren and Jess sitting ten feet away. Instead we speak silently, with long looks and messages that only the two of us know or understand. I take his hand in mine and lead him over to the waiting room, signaling for him to sit. Jess raises an eyebrow, silently asking if they should clear out. I shake my head once. Not yet.

Emmett collapses into one of the chairs, much like I did moments earlier, but keeps our hands bound together. I sit next to him, lean into him.

"What happened, Emmett? How's Gram? Is she...are you..." I trail off, not sure how to proceed. The pained look on his face now is hard enough to take. I don't want to say the wrong thing and make it worse.

"Gram is... well, she's Gram. Stubborn as hell. But, not going to sugarcoat it, she's pretty banged up. She's back there talking to Carlisle right now. He's standing in for me while I came out here for you."

"What happened?"

"She forgot to take her meds again this morning. She got dizzy, fell, and broke her ankle. It'll need surgery." He scrubs at his eyes with his free hand, exhaling an exhausted, frustrated breath. "She's all bruised up and stuff, too, but other than that she's okay." Again he stops, this time swallowing hard. He looks young, younger even than the 17-year-old boy he is, and I have to swallow against the lump rising in my throat because I want to take this all away for him. "It could've been a lot worse."

I hear a rustle behind me, and Emmett and I both turn to see Lauren standing up. She pulls on the zipper of her coat, moving it up and down swiftly, seeming almost nervous. Nudging Jess's foot, she says, "Stan, let's give them a sec, yeah?" Her eyes dart past me. "Do you want anything from the vending machine, Emmett?"

I think it's the first time she's said his name, at least since all of this happened. Her tone is even, but softer than usual.

"Uh, sure," Emmett replies, straightening in his seat.

Jess hops to her feet, too, threading her arm through Lauren's. "What can we get you?"

"M&Ms?" He twists in his seat, reaching for his back pocket. Jess waves him off before he can pull his wallet out.

"On the house," she states, and then turns on her heels, towing Lauren after her like this was her idea. Lauren looks over her shoulder at us and rolls her eyes. Emmett's chuckle rumbles low, next to my ear.

We watch them in silence as they make their way across the room, their heads bent close together, and then I turn back to him. His eyes slide from my friends to me. The fluorescent lights in the waiting room make his eyes look extra-blue, but tired. Sad.

"Are you okay?" I ask, leaning forward to place a kiss on his chin. His skin is soft and warm against my lips and his sigh fans across my skin.

"She just...she looks so frail in there. Like, old, you know? It scared the shit out of me, seeing her like that," he whispers. I pull back, but he's still so close that I can see all the faint freckles across his nose, how the thick fringe of his eyelashes are stuck together into little damp clumps.

"I can't imagine," I say, swallowing. "She's going to be okay, though?"

He lets out a breath. "She's going to be fine. Thank fucking god."

"I hate that you're dealing with this alone, Em," I murmur. I also hate how my voice shakes, because I want to be strong for him, like he's been strong for me.

"I'm not alone." He smiles, and it's a ghost of his usual, wide one, but there's a hint of teasing in it. "I've got you. You're even skipping English for me, Hale."

"It won't be the first time." He laughs and the sound floods through me, this surge of relief. "You know what I mean, though."

Emmett looks down, nodding. "I called my dad. He's coming over in a couple of hours, and he said he'd help me with her recovery as much as he could. She's going to be pretty incapacitated for a little while, and with school and football..." I don't miss the guilt that flashes across his face, collected between his eyebrows, and I reach up to smooth it away.

"You need the help, Emmett," I finish for him. "You can't do all of this on your own."

"Fuck, I know. Trust me, I know. She's not his mom, though, you know?"

"But you're his son."

He stares at me, as serious as I've ever seen him, until I shift in my seat, wondering if I've said the wrong thing. But then he wraps his hand around the back of my neck to bring my forehead to his lips, and he presses a kiss there. He moves down to my cheek, across my cheekbone, and places a soft kiss right in front of my ear. My eyes close and I sigh with him. "I love you, Ro."

"I love you," I reply. "I'm here for you. I'll do whatever to help you."

"I know you will."

A throat clears and we pull apart. Lauren and Jess are standing there, identical, knowing looks on their faces. They don't say it, and won't, but I can tell they heard the tail-end of Emmett's and my conversation.

"Here are your M&Ms." Jess holds out the bag of candy. Emmett takes it with a grateful smile, flashing his dimples.

"We have to get back to school, Posie," Lauren speaks up, reluctantly. "Are you staying?"

"Yeah, I'm staying." I jump up and give both Jess and Lauren quick hugs. We stand there for a second, tucked together into a little triangle, quiet and unsure what to say or do next. I know I'll think about all of this later, how even though our friendship feels good again, it still feels different. There's been a permanent shift between us. Right now, though, I just smile and whisper, "Thank you."

"Do you guys mind letting Edward and everyone know what's going on with my gram?" Emmett asks as he stands, pocketing the M&Ms. "I'd call, but I kind of want to get back in there with her."

Jess waves her hand. "No problem, we'll take care of it."

"Thanks, Jess," he says with a boyish, grateful grin. I look at her out of the corner of my eye and see her cheeks are a little pink. She catches my small grin and throws me a withering look.

"Oh, and tell him that I'll give him a call on Bella's phone later," I add, remembering that I still have his phone. Emmett looks at me questioningly. "Edward gave me his in case I needed it, which, by the way, I called you about thirty times from, so the missed calls are me, not Edward."

"I wouldn't be surprised if they were from Cullen," Emmett deadpans. "Total stalker."

Jess laughs at that, and even Lauren smiles, giving him that same thoughtful look she gave me when I told her I loved him. We say our goodbyes one more time, and then they turn, making their way toward the exit.

Lauren turns around after just a few steps, hesitant. "Hey, Emmett? I'm glad your grandma is going to be okay."

He starts, surprised, and then nods, one corner of his mouth pulling up. "I appreciate that, Lauren, thanks."

She nods once, her eyes darting to me before she takes Jess's arm and pulls her toward the exit. My chest feels achy and warm as I watch them go, but when Emmett's hand closes around mine, the only warmth I can focus on is from his fingers.

"So," I say, turning to him. "Do you think Gram is up for another visitor?"

Emmett snorts. "Are you kidding? She'll be so happy to have someone to complain about me and Carlisle to, she won't even know what to do with herself."

"What would she complain about?"

"Our hovering."

I raise an eyebrow. "Isn't it Carlisle's job to hover?"

"Tell that to Gram." Emmett gives me a pointed look, and I can't help but laugh, because I can just imagine her tutting about it. "I'm smuggling in the M&Ms to butter her up. Damn, I might as well take out a loan for all the cannolis I'm going to buy over the next few months, because if she thinks I'm hovering now..."

"God help you."

He gives an exaggerated, all-suffering sigh, then starts to pull me toward the hall that must lead to her room. I dig my heels in, hesitant. "Wait. Am I allowed back there? Desk Lady gave me some attitude earlier."

"Rosalie." He steps closer, cradling my face between his hands. "You're with me now. She won't give you any trouble."

I roll my eyes. "Right, I forgot that you've got some magic McCarty voodoo in that smile of yours. You've probably got her wrapped around your finger."

"Whatever it takes," he replies.

"Sacrifice for the cause," I say, and he laughs. I love that sound, especially now, and I love that I'm the one who got it out of him. We stand like this for a moment, my face in his hands, smiling at one another.

"I'm glad you're here," he murmurs finally, his expression sobering. Somehow I know he means here as something bigger than right now, here in this hospital. I'm finally here in the bigger sense: with him, and just as importantly, with myself.

I close my eyes and when I open them again, Emmett is smiling his magic smile, the special version that's only mine. We kiss, a short, sweet one that makes my eyes burn and my throat get tight. And then he takes my hand in his and, we start walking down the hall. Nothing has ever felt so right.

It takes me a minute to find my voice, but when I do, I finally reply, "I'm glad I'm here, too."

All right, friends, sad to say we're almost at the end here. Just the epilogue left, and after that we'll be posting a future-take with these kids. And then we'll be signing off. We'll leave all the goodbyes for a little later.

In the meantime, we've got to say our usual thank you to our wonderful, beautiful, and comma-correcting beta, AccioBourbon. She takes such good care of us, as do ThatIsRiddik and JugsterBunny. They've been with us since we started this whole crazy thing months ago, and we really couldn't - and wouldn't have wanted to - do this without them.

And also as usual, you guys blow us away with your reviews and tweets and PMs. Lots of buzz on ADF, which we totally appreciate! Thanks to you for making this so much fun.

See you next week!