Jodie Holmes leaned back in her chair, the soft hum of the diner filling the quiet space around her. It was late, but the place was still buzzing with the last few night owls grabbing their meals. The smell of coffee and fried food lingered in the air, but Jodie's thoughts were elsewhere. She stared down at her half-empty cup of coffee, the warmth of it barely touching the cold that had settled deep inside her.

It had been months since her last mission, months since she had walked away from the chaos that had defined her life for so long. She had fought so hard to find peace, to escape the ghosts of her past. But no matter how far she ran, no matter how much time passed, it seemed like she was always being pulled back into the darkness.

The lyrics from Taylor Swift's "peace" floated through her mind: "I never had the courage of my convictions as long as danger is near..." Jodie had always felt that way—like she was constantly standing on the edge, waiting for something to go wrong. And with Aiden, the entity that had been tethered to her since birth, that danger was never far away.

The door to the diner swung open, and Jodie looked up to see Ryan Clayton walking in. His tall frame and confident stride were unmistakable, even in the dim light of the diner. Jodie's heart gave a small flutter when she saw him, though she wasn't sure if it was from excitement or nerves. Their relationship had always been complicated, tangled up in the missions, the secrecy, and the weight of their pasts.

Ryan spotted her immediately, his eyes softening as they met hers. He made his way over to the table and slid into the seat across from her.

"Hey," Ryan said with a small smile. "You doing okay?"

Jodie nodded, though she wasn't sure if it was entirely true. "Yeah. Just... thinking."

Ryan raised an eyebrow, leaning forward. "That's never a good sign."

Jodie chuckled, though it lacked its usual warmth. "You know me. Always overthinking."

Ryan studied her for a moment, his eyes full of concern. "You don't have to do that anymore, Jodie. You've done enough. You deserve some peace."

The word peace hung in the air between them, and Jodie couldn't help but let out a bitter laugh. "Peace? I don't even know what that looks like, Ryan. I've been fighting for so long that I don't know how to stop."

Ryan's expression softened, and he reached across the table, his hand covering hers. "I know it's hard. But you don't have to fight anymore. Not alone, at least."

Jodie's heart clenched at his words. She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that she could let someone in, that she could find some semblance of a normal life. But Aiden's presence was always there, lurking in the background, reminding her that she wasn't like other people.

"Ryan, I appreciate what you're saying," Jodie said quietly, her voice thick with emotion. "But you don't know what it's like. To always have this... thing hanging over you. Aiden's not going anywhere. And as long as he's here, peace is out of the question."

Ryan squeezed her hand gently, his gaze steady. "I know what Aiden is. And I know he's not going anywhere. But that doesn't mean you can't find peace, Jodie. It just means we have to find our own version of it."

Jodie stared at him, her heart aching with the weight of everything she wanted but didn't think she could have. "You really think we can do that? Find peace?"

Ryan gave her a soft smile, the kind that made her chest tighten. "Yeah. I do."


The next day, Jodie found herself in the park, the crisp autumn air biting at her skin as she sat on a bench, staring out at the leaves swirling around in the breeze. Aiden was quiet today, the usual static of his presence muted in the back of her mind. It was strange—these rare moments of calm. She had grown so used to the constant hum of his energy that the silence felt almost unnatural.

Ryan sat beside her, his arm resting on the back of the bench as he watched the people pass by. They hadn't spoken much since the diner, but the silence between them wasn't uncomfortable. It was peaceful, in a way that Jodie wasn't used to.

"You know," Ryan said after a while, his voice breaking the quiet, "I used to come here when I needed to clear my head. Back when I was working for the CIA. It always helped, being around people who didn't know me, who didn't care about the things I'd done."

Jodie glanced at him, her curiosity piqued. Ryan rarely talked about his past, about the things he had gone through before they met. But she understood what he meant—there was something comforting about being anonymous, about being in a crowd and knowing that no one was looking at you.

"Yeah," Jodie said softly, her gaze returning to the people walking by. "I get that."

Ryan looked at her, his expression thoughtful. "Do you ever think about what it would be like to just... disappear? To leave all of this behind and start fresh somewhere else?"

Jodie hesitated, her heart racing at the thought. She had thought about it so many times—what it would be like to just run, to leave behind the ghosts of her past and start over. But Aiden... Aiden made that impossible.

"I don't think I could ever really disappear," Jodie said, her voice tinged with sadness. "Aiden wouldn't let me."

Ryan reached over, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "Maybe not. But that doesn't mean you can't have a life. A real life, with people who care about you. With me."

Jodie's breath caught in her throat, her mind spinning with his words. She wanted that so badly—a life with Ryan, a life where she didn't have to constantly look over her shoulder. But how could she give him that when Aiden was always there, always complicating things?

"I don't know if I can give you that," Jodie whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't know if I can give you the kind of life you deserve."

Ryan shook his head, his eyes full of warmth and understanding. "You don't have to give me anything, Jodie. I just want you. The rest, we'll figure out together."

Jodie stared at him, her heart swelling with emotion. She wanted to believe him, wanted to believe that they could find a way to make this work. But the fear still lingered, the fear that she would end up hurting him, just like she had hurt everyone else who had ever gotten close to her.

"What if it's not enough?" Jodie asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

Ryan's gaze never wavered as he spoke, his voice steady and sure. "It will be. As long as we're together, it will be."


A few weeks later, Jodie and Ryan found themselves on a road trip, driving through the countryside with no real destination in mind. It had been Ryan's idea—a chance for them to get away from everything, to just be together without the weight of the world on their shoulders.

They had spent the last few days exploring small towns, staying in quiet bed-and-breakfasts, and enjoying the simple pleasures of being together. For the first time in a long time, Jodie felt like she could breathe, like the world wasn't constantly pressing down on her.

As they drove through the winding roads, the sun setting behind them, Ryan reached over and took her hand, his fingers lacing through hers.

"You know," Ryan said with a grin, "I think this is the most relaxed I've ever seen you."

Jodie laughed, the sound surprising even herself. "I think this is the most relaxed I've ever been."

Ryan glanced at her, his smile softening. "You deserve this, Jodie. You deserve to be happy."

Jodie looked out the window, the passing landscape blurring as tears pricked at her eyes. She didn't know if she deserved happiness, but for the first time in her life, she felt like she might be able to find it.

The lyrics from "peace" played softly in her mind: "Would it be enough if I could never give you peace?" Jodie had spent so long believing that she couldn't give anyone peace, that she couldn't have peace herself. But maybe... maybe she was wrong.

"I think I'm finally starting to believe that," Jodie said quietly, turning to look at Ryan.

Ryan squeezed her hand, his eyes shining with love and determination. "Good. Because I've always believed it."

And as they drove into the fading light, Jodie let herself believe it too. Maybe peace wasn't about living a perfect, quiet life. Maybe peace was about finding someone who loved you despite the chaos, someone who was willing to stay by your side through it all.

And with Ryan, Jodie knew she had found that.