A/N: The Twilight Universe belongs to Stephenie Meyer. I just own Sage and the plot.

Love always to HammerHips, my Schwoogie-Muffin. I flove her.

Outtake 2: After All The Long Years

Sage POV

Sage,

I finally did it. I enlisted. Maybe you've already heard, since I'm sure Rosalie had the fit heard 'round the world. I hope you're not upset with me. I mean, I know we've been discussing the possibility and all. I've thought this through. Anything to get away from David and all, but I really believe this is the right path for me. You understand that, right?

How are things with Emmett? Have they calmed down? Did he actually think about it or did he fight Charlie every step of the way? Come on, don't leave me in suspense!

When are you going to send me another picture of you? You haven't sent one in months. I know you hate the camera and you think you don't photograph well, but I like seeing you, even if I can't actually see you.

Anyway, I have to go. David's home and I need to start dinner before we end up in a fight.

Take care of yourself, Sweetheart.

Love,

Your Jazz

Jazz,

Of course I'm not upset with you! How could you think that? We've been talking about it for so long, I figured you'd made up your mind. If you believe it's the right life path, I'm not going to argue with you. Maybe it'll do you some good to get out of Texas altogether.

Things have calmed down. Rosalie had a talk with Emmett and I now (finally) have my ears pierced. It didn't hurt as bad as Rose said it would (thankfully). Emmett's not even sure why I wanted to have it done. Rose bought me some really big dangly earrings but I'm happy with the plain old silver piercing studs. They're nothing special, just metal balls, but they're a freaking accomplishment to me. Ha!

I really hate that you're so obsessed with having pictures of me. I can't exactly take pictures of myself, you know… and you haven't sent me a picture of you in over a year, so maybe I'll send you one when you send me one… OK, I can't even bluff on paper. You know there's a picture in with this letter. Stop smiling like a grade-A jackass. We all know you kick ass.

Let me know when you have more information about your enlistment, Jazz. You know I worry.

I have to get going now. Emmett and Rosalie just walked in and I need to beg a ride to Port Angeles for guitar strings.

Hugs and Love.

Always,

Sage

Sage,

Now why on earth would you say I was smiling like a grade-A jackass? I'm hurt. Not really. But only because I know I was smiling like one. Ha!

You're beautiful in this picture, Sage. I know you don't believe that, and I can tell Emmett was probably the one with his finger on the shutter because it's crooked, but you're still beautiful and I hope you'll start sending me more since I'll be slowing down on the letters once I get to Basic.

Congratulations on finally winning the ear piercing battle. Just wait until you're eighteen and you can do what you want without asking… assuming Emmett actually backs off when you turn eighteen. Wow… Hmm… OK, sorry, I shouldn't give you false hope like that. Yes, I know you're flipping me off right now.

As for my enlistment, I'm supposed to report to Fort Benning for Basic Training on September 30. That's Georgia, in case you didn't know. I'm thinking about going for Intelligence. I'm not too keen on the idea of seeing actual bloodshed, and that seems to be the safest route.

Has Rosalie calmed down any yet? I was going to call her this weekend, but after the bitch-out she gave me when I told her I'd enlisted, I'm not sure I'm ready for round two.

I have to get going now. I'm headed out to watch some live music with the guys. Sort of my last hurrah before they all head off to college next week.

Take care of yourself.

Love,

Your Jazz

Jasper,

No, I don't think she's calmed down any. She's definitely being more civil about it though. I've never heard her swear so much. It was kinda scary. But her attitude's under control, she's just still really pissed off. I'm not even sure she's pissed off at YOU, I think she's just really worried. You can understand that, can't you? I'm worried too. I just know what it's like to always have someone coming at you with "Don't do that", so it's not like I'm gonna judge.

As for the pictures, of course I'll try to send more. I just can't guarantee it, but I do promise to try. And you always say I look beautiful. You should be careful. Girls get jealous over that kind of thing. Don't want to scare off any potential girlfriends.

How long is Basic Training? I don't really know anything about the military, so you'll have to break it down for me.

Emmett's upset that Uncle Charlie is letting me attend a week-long overnight camp in Portland, but most of the riding students the Berrymans teach are going. Emmett just doesn't want me around a bunch of guys. But Uncle Charlie says that I've earned it and so I guess Emmett just gets to be pissed (I'm giggling. Can you tell?).

Well, I've gotta go, Jazz. I've got some last minute stuff to buy. Don't worry, I'll write you double letters to make up for the week I'm gone. Take care.

Hugs and Love.

Always,

Sage

Sage,

I understand her being worried. I just wish she could worry without calling me an idiot. I swear, sometimes David rubbed off on her. And not in a good way. And that's what I love about you. You don't judge. You make it so easy, sometimes I wonder if you're real.

And how about you let ME worry about jealous girls. There aren't a lot of prospects to be worried about anyhow.

Basic is 6 weeks. From there, I'll go to Tech School for specialization. That's another four months. Then I'll move on to wherever the Army wants to put me. If I go Intelligence though, chances are I'll be at Fort Belvoir in Alexandria, VA. That's where INSCOM (Intelligence and Security Command) is located.

And Charlie's right, you earned that spot and I'm proud of you. Don't let Emmett ruin it. You better have fun and don't worry about him being pissed off. You do still owe me double letters, but that's just because I love getting letters. Don't take any crap from the boys either. I mean it, I'll come up there and kick some ass if I have to.

I have to go, Sage. I'm heading out to put some stuff in storage. Take care of yourself. I miss you.

Love,

Your Jazz

Jas,

Rose is definitely trying to get a handle on her anger and worry. I think she's feeling really bad for the mean things she said to you. She mentioned calling you this weekend before you leave for Basic. Are you scared? I would be. But you know me. Everything scares me.

As for me being real, I just tried to walk through a wall, and I'm fairly certain I am, so no worries on that front. You've always been such a good friend to me, how can I not do my best to make my friendship easy on you? I know I'm not exactly easy to deal with and a lot of the time I'm a basket case. You're the only one who's ever able to calm me down.

I don't plan on letting Emmett ruin camp for me. I intend to have as much fun as humanly possible. I'm surprised you didn't get cocky there and tell me that it's all because YOU put me on that horse three years ago. We all know it's true, it's OK, you can say it. I never would've ever considered riding if it hadn't been for you.

Emmet and Rose just pulled up. I'll let her know you'd like to talk to her before you leave. I know she misses you. I miss you too, Jazz. Be safe.

Hugs and Love.

Always,

Sage

Sage,

I graduate from Basic on November 12. Do you think you'd be able to come? We're allowed to have family and friends come, but I know Rose would only come to yell at me some more. I'd rather have someone there supporting me.

I know it's short notice, it's only three weeks away, but they've only just given us a definite date and I really want you to be here. I know you probably can't, it's the middle of the semester and you've got homework and projects coming out of your ears and papers to edit, but I thought I'd ask. If for no other reason than for you to know that I wish you could be here to see me graduate from Basic Training.

I can't really add much more right now. I'm due for lights out soon. I miss you, Sweetheart. Take care of yourself.

Love,

Your Jazz

"Emmett," I asked timidly. Emmett glanced up to the rearview mirror to look at me. "Jasper's graduating from Basic Training on November twelfth." I watched Rosalie tense in the front seat, but she didn't make a peep. "He… he was wondering if maybe I could go… to see him graduate."

"Why do you need to go see him graduate?" he asked curiously. Emmett didn't get the whole military thing. I didn't really either, but with Jasper providing an abridged version of Army For Dummies with practically every letter, I was slowly learning.

I shrugged. "It's a support thing… and to see him off, since he won't have leave for a long while. He'll go straight to Tech School and then on to wherever they're stationing him." I took a deep breath. "I'd really like to go."

"I'll think about it."

Three days later, I still didn't have an answer and I asked Uncle Charlie to intercede. The only reason I'd bothered to ask Emmett at all was because he'd have to take me (no way he'd let me fly alone anyhow), because Uncle Charlie couldn't get the time off work.

"Emmett, it's just two days. Her grades are excellent."

"Please, Emmett?" I begged. "Please? Please?"

"What if this sets her back?" he challenged. "She's been doing really well with Doctor Caius and the last thing I need is for her to get all depressed again because her friend is going away.

Fuck you.

"Jasper's always been away!" I cried. "I've spent one whole week with him in the past three years. Come on, Emmett! I'm taking my medication, I'm not fighting in therapy, and I brought my grades back up! I've got an A in Calculus again, come on! Please! I really wanna be there for Jasper! Rosalie doesn't even wanna go, but I do and he wants me there!"

My brother stared at me for the longest time. We were all seated at the kitchen table and I had my elbows resting on the table, my hands clasped in the international sign for Please Let Me Do This One Thing PRETTY PRETTY PLEASE!

Eventually, he sighed. "You've got therapy scheduled for both those days you know."

"I'll get Doctor Caius to write a note. He thought it was a good idea. He was the one who encouraged me to ask!"

"You'll need to get all your homework ahead of time so you can work on it on the plane."

"I will."

"And you'll need to pack your pills. If you miss one pill, we're gonna have issues so big Korn will think they're having a reunion tour." I internally rolled my eyes at that one.

Lame.

And I didn't mean that about the pills. I wanted to be better, I wasn't going to screw shit up. But Korn? Seriously?

"Of course."

Doctor Caius had me on a new antidepressant. I'd only been on it a few weeks, but I was feeling better, less foggy, more like myself. Only time would tell if it would work or if I'd feel stifled by them. It always took a month or two to truly adjust to a new pill or dose.

"I mean it."

"I know."

He sighed. "Rose? You don't mind?"

Rosalie shook her head. "I think it'd do Jasper some good to see Sage again, and maybe vice versa. They miss each other." She gave me a tentative smile and I could tell she was still trying to come to grips with her baby brother joining the military during such a dangerous time.

"Alright. I'll book us the flight." He groaned.

I whooped so loud it startled everyone and then I was up and running around the table to hug Emmett tightly around the neck. "Thank you, Emmy! Thank you! Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank you!" I cried.

Two weeks later, Emmett and I got off a plane in Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson Airport, collected our bags and rental car, and headed for our motel just outside of Fort Benning.

It was a horrendous flight. Aside from having to do homework the entire time, Emmett kept asking questions over my shoulder and I was finally forced to tell him that if he didn't remember High School English, I couldn't help him. After that, he stole my iPod because apparently music is distracting… It didn't matter that I'd been listening to Tchaikovsky.

Once we got to the motel, we showered and changed clothes. I'd managed to convince Emmett to wear khaki's and a nice blue shirt. I wasn't sure how people dressed for Basic Graduation, but I didn't want us to be complete scruff-muffins.

I wore a pale green blouse and a khaki skirt that went to my knees, knowing Emmett would throw a fit at any of my other skirts because of the length… or rather, lack of length… and my black Chucks.

"Sage, calm down." Emmett sighed as he watched me pace the floor in our room. "You're gonna give me a complex."

"I'm just anxious." I told him.

"I realize that, and you're not helping me to think that bringing you was a good decision." I froze. "Thank you." I sat down at the small desk and began tapping my thumb. "Sage!"

"I can't help it!" I cried. "I always do this sort of thing! I did this sort of thing when I was four, Emmett, not much has changed in eleven years!"

"Some things have." He grumbled.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, but he simply shook his head.

He sighed. "Look, I know you're excited to see Jasper, OK? I get that. But I also don't want you slipping, and to me, that's more important than you getting to see your friend."

"I'm not gonna slip!" I cried indignantly. "Even Doctor Caius thought seeing Jasper would be a good thing. Even though I haven't seen him in years, he's still a big part of my life." Emmett rolled his eyes at that. "What?"

He shrugged. "I just don't understand how you could get so attached to someone through the mail."

"It's not just the mail! It's not like I wasn't in Galveston that week too, you know." I was still kind of pissed and hurt that Emmett had all but abandoned me that week and Jasper was all but forced to spend time with me, even though I knew deep down he'd done so because he wanted to.

Emmett seemed to pick up on that fact and cringed. "I know, Sage, I'm just saying—"

"What? Just saying what? That you and Rosalie are OK for starting out with just a week together followed up by a year of e-mail and phone calls, but I can't have a friend who I got the same start with and chose to write letters to? Jasper and I correspond more in six months than you and Rose did all that time you were apart. I don't appreciate you judging me."

His eyes were wide with panic at this point as he realized he'd lost control of the conversation. "That's not what I'm saying, Sage. Not at all." He held up his hands in surrender.

"Then what are you saying?"

He sighed. "I don't know… I worry about you. You know that."

"I do." I sighed, rolling my eyes. I checked my watch. "Come on, we need to get going. It's a half-hour until the ceremony starts."

We drove to Fort Benning in silence and when Emmett pulled up to the gate and presented the guard with our ID's, I was almost afraid he wouldn't let us in.

"You're not on the list."

"I didn't have time to tell Private Whitlock we'd be coming." I practically pleaded.

He sighed. "What's his name?"

"Private Jasper Whitlock." He nodded. "Go on in. Go up to the stop sign, hang a left and take it to the end. You'll see where to go." We thanked him and Emmett drove in as soon as the barrier went up.

We took seats in the large auditorium and waited with everyone else, the general din almost mind-numbing. And then the doors at the rear were thrown open and a procession of soldiers dressed in their standard issue BDU's marched in, eyes forward. Jasper was near the end, but his eyes never strayed and so he didn't see me. He looked very handsome in uniform, even though I wasn't fond of the crew cut, and regardless, seeing him again made me smile.

"We'll catch him after." Emmett assured me. "Maybe we can take him to dinner or something."

I sighed. "Promise?"

"I didn't bring you all the way out here for you not to be able to see him, Sage." He murmured as the ceremony began.

When it was over and the Commanding Officer yelled, "Dismissed!" everyone rose at once and I knew we were never going to find Jasper in the crowd.

"Let's go outside and we'll wait for him." Emmett said, putting a hand on my shoulder and guiding me outside.

Twenty minutes later, Jasper traipsed out of the auditorium, straightening his cover on his head and looking as though he was bound for the barracks.

"Jazz!" I yelled, standing from the bench Emmett and I had taken up residence on.

He froze for a moment before turning, eyes wide, and then he broke into a smile. "Sage!"

I ran to him and threw my arms around his neck as he lifted me and swung me around, burying his face in my hair. I tried to kiss his cheek, but accidentally pecked him at the corner of his mouth, though he didn't seem to mind.

"What are you doing here?" he asked me, burying his face in my hair again and kissing my jaw.

"You invited me, remember?"

"I didn't think you'd be able to." He replied, setting me on my feet.

I smiled. "But you wanted me to, so of course I had to try." He pulled me into another hug.

"Thank you." And then I realized he wasn't talking to me anymore. Emmett was standing just behind me and Jasper was thanking him for bringing me.

Emmett shrugged. "She's hard to ignore when she begs." He sighed and shifted. "You got dinner plans? We thought we might take you out."

"I didn't, but I guess I do now."

Emmett nodded. "Great. Just let me go call Rose. I'm supposed to let her know when we've seen you."

I pulled Jasper back to the bench as Emmett sauntered off and hugged him again once we were sitting. "I've missed you so much, Jazz. I'm so proud of you!"

He continued to grin at me. "I missed you too. God, I can't believe you're here." He pulled me into another hug. "It's so good to see you, Sweetheart." He pulled away, his brow furrowed. "How'd you convince Emmett to bring you?"

I shrugged. "Begging, Uncle Charlie, and a little bit of Rose."

"Rose helped?" he asked incredulously.

"She didn't hurt."

He dropped a kiss on the top of my head and wrapped an arm around my shoulders. "Maybe you can come visit me some time? I'm going to Alexandria, like I thought."

"Fort Belvoir?" I asked and he nodded. "That'd be cool. This is my first time on the east coast and all I've seen is the airport, a motel, and a base. It'd be cool to see a bit more some time."

"Maybe over the summer?" he sighed and I nodded. "It's a Battleground State, you know. We could go down to Williamsburg and Jamestown… maybe into the District… Alexandria is really close to the District. We could go biking on the Western and Old Dominion Trail. It's one of the longest in the country, it goes all the way out to the Midwest."

"Wow." I breathed.

"It means a lot that you kept writing, you know?"

"Of course I was going to keep writing, are you crazy?" I laughed as he shrugged. "And I'm still gonna keep writing." I added.

"You won't be upset if I can't write as often?" he asked worriedly. "I'm gonna have rotating shifts and stuff."

I shrugged. "You've got more responsibility now. I can't fault you for that." I thought a minute and then dug around in my purse, extracting a black Sharpie marker. "Here, just so you have a reminder of me, even when you can't write, you'll know I'm thinking about you anyhow." I grabbed his left hand and turned it palm up before cuffing the sleeve of his BDU jacket up one roll.

"What are you doing?" he grinned.

"I'm making it so you're stuck with me. You can carry me anywhere." I smirked and wrote S. A. M. on the inside of the sleeve. "There. Now you're stuck with me." I sighed, capping the marker.

"Aw, I'd never be stuck with you." He assured me.

"You guys ready?" Emmett asked, rejoining us. We nodded. "Jasper, what's good around here? Any place in particular you'd like to go?"

"Logan's Roadhouse is pretty good." He replied as we started off toward the car.

We rode in silence for the short drive to the restaurant and Emmett left us for a moment to answer a text from Rosalie. As soon as he came back, I excused myself to the restroom to take my pill, giving Emmett a pointed look so that he'd know that's what I was doing.

When I came back, Jasper immediately wrapped an arm around me again. "So how's school? Is Calculus still tripping you up?"

"No, I got a handle on it." I murmured as Emmett tried to disguise his grimace. "I got some after-school tutoring. I've got an A again."

He smiled proudly. "Good." He gently touched a finger to my earlobe. "The earrings are looking good." Emmett scowled at that one, but I grinned sheepishly.

"I'm not digging the hair." I told him honestly, scrubbing my hand over his buzz cut.

"Neither am I." he laughed, giving a little shrug. "But what can I do? They're not too big on long hair."

"It wasn't that long."

"Long enough." He smirked, hugging me to him again.

We talked all through dinner and into the wee hours of the morning. Emmett popped in and out of the conversation, mostly content to text Rose and leave us to our own devices, but he drew the line at 3AM because our flight was at noon.

I hugged Jasper goodbye as he promised me a letter as soon as he arrived at Fort Belvoir and then we dropped him off at the barracks.

"Thank you, Emmett." I murmured as I watched Jasper disappear into the large building he was staying in.

"You're welcome, Sage."