AN: One more chapter after this, guys. I'll post it soon :)

Touch: Sleeping at Last

Edward sat hunched over the table, his untouched breakfast growing colder by the second. The dimly lit room felt smaller than it was, the flickering TV screen reduced to static, a dull hum in the background.

He wasn't really there. His mind was somewhere else, everywhere else—trapped between the past few days, caught in a cycle of exhaustion and the weight of waiting.

Then—soft footsteps.

"Edward."

His head snapped up, eyes locking onto Esme's.

She was smiling.

"She's awake," she said softly.

For a moment, Edward forgot how to breathe.

Everything inside him went still before relief hit like a tidal wave, crashing through his ribs, leaving his lungs too tight to function.

He didn't respond—he just moved, rising from his chair with such force that it scraped against the floor. His legs carried him before his mind could catch up, following Esme down the hallway, his pulse a thunderous drumbeat in his ears.

Every step felt heavier. She was definitely going to be in a lot of pain... probably confused. What if she wants nothing to do with him? What if she resented him for not being there in time?

His fingers curled into fists. No more what-ifs.

He stepped into the room.

Bella was just beginning to stir.

Her lashes fluttered against her pale cheeks, her chest rising in uneven breaths. She made a small sound in the back of her throat, the kind that signaled pain before words could form, her body tensing instinctively.

Edward's stomach twisted, hating this part.

Her eyes finally cracked open, hazy, unfocused, pupils darting sluggishly as if trying to make sense of where she was, of what had happened.

Edward moved closer.

She blinked a few times, frowning slightly, her body stiff against the mattress. Her breathing hitched as reality started to seep in.

Confusion. Then realization.

She sucked in a slow, shaky breath, her fingers twitching slightly against the blanket.

Edward reached for her hand without thinking, his fingerswrapping around hers, warm and steady.

Bella's eyes flickered to the contact, as if the sensation hadn't quite registered. Slowly, her eyes traveled upward, moving over his arm, his bandaged shoulder, his face.

And then—recognition.

She saw him.

Not just as a blur, not just as a body in the room with him—she saw him.

Her lips parted, dry and cracked, but no words came at first. She swallowed thickly, her throat working through the discomfort.

Edward leaned in, his free hand reaching for the glass of water on the nightstand. "Here," he murmured, slipping an arm beneath her back, lifting her carefully so she could sip.

Bella took a slow, unsteady sip, grimacing slightly as the cool liquid hit her throat. Her fingers clutched weakly at the blanket.

After a few moments, she tried again.

"…Did we do it?"

Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper, but the words were firm, determined.

Edward exhaled, something breaking loose inside of him. He nodded, brushing his thumb over the back of her hand.

"It's over."

Bella's body sagged slightly, her expression unreadable at first. Then her eyes burned with something distant, cautious, disbelieving. Like she was afraid to accept it.

"…Really?"

Edward nodded again. "Really."

Her breath hitched, and she let her head sink back against the pillow.

For a long moment, she just stared at the ceiling, blinking slowly. Processing.

Her fingers tightened ever so slightly around his.

"…We should be dead."

Edward swallowed. Yeah.

"I know." But they're not. Thank God, she's not.

Silence stretched between them.

Then, Bella let out a breathy, almost disbelieving laugh—the kind that wasn't really amusement, just sheer exhaustion and relief colliding at full force.

Edward let out something close to a chuckle, shaking his head. "Yeah."

Another pause.

Bella's eyelids drooped slightly, but her eyes never left his.

"…You look like shit," she murmured.

Edward smirked, shaking his head. "Yeah, well. You're not exactly glowing yourself."

She let out a weak huff, her lips twitching.

Then, softer.

"…You stayed?"

Edward's expression shifted.

"Of course I did."

Her fingers tightened around his, even as exhaustion started pulling her under again.

"…Good," she murmured.

Edward exhaled through his nose, watching as her body finally relaxed, her grip loosening as sleep crept back in.

He didn't let go until her breathing evened out, her face peaceful against the pillow.

Only then did he lean down, pressing a kiss against her knuckles.

He could breathe a little easier after that.

...

Edward had only just stepped out of Bella's room when the sound of commotion reached his ears. Voices—some excited, some strained, the occasional groan of movement. He followed the noise, moving stiffly down the hallway, his body reminding him of every injury he'd sustained.

When he reached the living room, he found the others gathered, and standing among them—James, back from wherever the hell he'd run off to.

And beside him—

Edward stilled.

A large, familiar shape stood by James' side, ears perked, tail wagging slowly, eyes scanning the room as if searching for someone.

Jake.

Edward's lips twitched into a small smile. She's going to be so happy to see him.

Jake turned his head at the sound of footsteps, his big, golden eyes locking onto Edward. His ears twitched, nose twitching as he sniffed the air.

Edward walked forward slowly. He crouched down, wincing slightly as pain flared in his side, but he didn't care.

"Hey there, big guy," he murmured, holding out a hand.

Jake sniffed it once before his tail wagged harder, his body vibrating with barely contained excitement.

"He's been scheming to get back to his mom since I got him," James announced, pushing his glasses up his nose. "Like, full-on prison break levels of scheming. I'm talking digging, whining, strategic sad puppy eyes—"

Edward huffed a quiet laugh, scratching Jake behind the ears. "That sounds about right."

The shepherd let out a low whine, shifting on his paws.

Then, without warning, he broke away.

"Shit—Jake, wait—"

The dog was already gone, a blur of fur bolting down the hallway.

Edward jerked up to his feet, panic flaring through him. "Damn it."

The others moved quickly, following after the shepherd.

Edward's mind raced. He wasn't worried about Jake meaning to hurt her, but she was still weak. Still healing. What if he was too excited? What if—

But when Edward reached the doorway, his breath caught in his throat.

Jake had already reached her bedside.

The massive dog had pressed himself right up against it, his face resting on the mattress beside her, big golden eyes locked onto Bella's face.

She'd opened her eyes again, not having fully fallen asleep.

And she was smiling.

Tears welled in her eyes as her fingers trembled against Jake's fur, smoothing over the thick ruff of his neck.

"…I missed you so much," she whispered, her voice cracking.

Jake let out a soft, whimpering sound, licking her wrist once before pressing his head against her arm, as if saying those exact words back to her.

Edward exhaled slowly, his muscles unclenching, his heartbeat finally settling.

Bella lifted her eyes then, finding James, and something warm flickered through her expression.

"Thank you," she murmured, her voice thick with emotion. "For taking care of him."

James blinked, then straightened, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Well, you know. It wasn't exactly easy. He has opinions, Bella. Many of them. Strong ones." He adjusted his glasses. "I'm pretty sure he thinks he was taking care of me. Which, you know, makes sense, because one night we were on a walk and there was this rabid squirrel. I'm talking, three feet tall, teeth everywhere, and you should've seen Jake, Bella. Ran him right off."

Bella let out a soft, tired laugh, shaking her head.

James grinned, rocking back on his heels. "Anyway, I'll accept my Dog Sitter of the Year award whenever you're ready. I expect a trophy. Maybe some snacks."

Bella laughed again, tears still clinging to her lashes, her fingers never leaving Jake's fur.

Edward stood at the edge of the room, watching her, watching all of them, and the smile that pulled at his lips felt so wide that it hurt his cheeks.

They had made it.

And Bella was home.

...

James was the first to leave, gathering his things in a haphazard mess while rambling about his next steps in life—which, apparently, included starting a comic book series and staying as far away from labs as humanly possible.

"I'm serious, man. If I so much as smell a sterile hallway, I'm walking the other way," James declared, shoving his glasses up his nose. "I've had my action-hero moment, I've contributed to society, I've nearly died at least four times—"

"Five," Rosalie corrected, arms crossed.

"—right, five times, and I think I've earned a life of peace and graphic novels. So, y'know." He glanced around the room, his usual humor slightly dimmed by something more genuine. "I'll keep in touch."

"Yeah, you better, nerd," Emmett muttered, pulling James into a brief but crushing side-hug that nearly knocked the wind out of him. "I'll be expecting a goddamn superhero version of me in this comic of yours."

James gasped dramatically. "Dude, I can't just hand you a superhero role. You gotta earn that shit."

"Did I or did I not just throw a guy across a lab?" Emmett gestured to himself. "I literally yeeted a man into a wall, bro. I think I earned it."

"Fine, fine," James huffed. "But if I make you a superhero, I'm making you dumb as hell. Just all brawn, no brain."

Emmett grinned. "Yeah, that checks out."

James chuckled, shaking his head before heading for the door. He paused, looking back for just a second, then shot them all a lazy salute. "Catch you guys on the next world-ending catastrophe."

And with that, he was gone.

One by one, the others began to file out, a quiet routine they had all perfected after every mission, every fight, every impossible situation they had survived.

There was always this moment. The inevitable departure.

But it was never goodbye. It was always: we'll keep in touch. See you when we see you. We'll come back together when the next shitstorm hits.

Because it always did. And somehow, they'd always find their way back to each other.

Rosalie was next. She lingered for a moment, looking at Edward with narrowed eyes n before stepping forward.

"You did good, Cullen," she said, softer than expected, then smirked. "For an idiot."

Edward snorted. "High fucking praise coming from you."

Rosalie rolled her eyes but, in an uncharacteristic moment of warmth, she reached out and squeezed his good arm. "Take care of her."

"I will," he said.

She nodded once before turning toward Alice, who was fastening her leather jacket, adjusting the collar like she wasn't stalling.

Alice sighed dramatically. "Ugh. I hate this part."

"Then don't leave," Edward said dryly.

"Tempting, but nah. Got places to be, people to irritate." Alice smirked, then suddenly wrapped her arms around him, tight and fast, like if she thought about it too long, she wouldn't do it at all. "If you ever do some dumb heroic shit like that again, I swear to God—"

"I know," Edward chuckled. "You'll kick my ass."

"Damn right." Alice pulled back, studying him for a second, then tapped his forehead lightly. "Try not to overthink shit for once in your life, huh?"

"That's physically impossible."

"Yeah, well, miracles happen."

She turned to Bella's room, exhaled, then whispered, "She's gonna be okay." It wasn't for him. It was for herself.

Then, without waiting for any sentimental bullshit, she strolled out the door.

And then it was just Jasper.

Jasper stopped at Edward's side, placing a firm hand on his good shoulder, leveling him with a serious look.

"When you're healed?" Jasper said, voice low, quirking an eyebrow. "You and me, buddy."

Edward snorted, shaking his head. "Oh, you still holding on to that ass-kicking?"

Jasper smirked. "I call it a loss due to distraction."

"That's a real creative way to say you lost."

Jasper laughed, clapping Edward's shoulder before stepping back. He turned to Carlisle and Esme, giving them each a grateful hug before heading toward the door.

With one last glance over his shoulder, he smirked.

"Rest up, man. I want you at full capacity when I win."

Edward shook his head, amused, watching as Jasper disappeared out the front door.

Then, finally, it was quiet.

Edward exhaled slowly, rubbing the back of his neck before turning back down the hall, heading toward Bella's room.

She was propped up slightly against the pillows, reclined but awake, her fingers absently running through Jake's thick fur where he lay beside her. His head was resting on the mattress, refusing to leave her side.

Edward smiled at the sight, at the warmth of it, the quiet companionship between them.

He sank down on the opposite side of the bed, mirroring Jake's position. Bella turned her head toward him, her lips curving into a small, tired smile.

Then, softly—

"What now?"

Edward stared at her for a long moment, turning her words over in his head. What now?

It was such a simple question. Too simple for everything they had been through. Too simple for the ache in his bones, the scars both fresh and old, the ghosts that still lingered in the corners of his mind. It was a question people asked when they had options, when they had a future stretching ahead of them like an open road.

He had spent so much of his life not thinking about that kind of future—only about surviving. The next mission. The next fight. The next crisis.

There had never been a now before.

There had only been what comes next?

But sitting here, watching Bella, her eyes still a little heavy with exhaustion but filled with softness, warmth, being alive—he realized something.

He had never really let himself believe he could have more.

But she had.

Even in the darkest moments, even when everything was crumbling around them, she had never stopped choosing to believe in something beyond the fight, beyond the mission, beyond the endgame.

Maybe it was time he did, too.

Edward let out a slow breath, his fingers tracing absent patterns against the edge of the mattress. Then, he looked at her—really looked at her.

Her face was still too pale, her features drawn from pain and recovery, but there was a light in her eyes that made his chest tighten in a way that had nothing to do with injury.

A slow smirk tugged at the corner of his mouth. "I have no fucking idea," he admitted truthfully. "But… I think I'd like to find out."

Bella held his gaze for a long moment, studying him in the way she always did—like she could see right through every layer, every unspoken thought, every hesitation.

She exhaled a quiet laugh, shaking her head just slightly. "That makes two of us."

The weight in Edward's chest eased, just a little.

For once since they'd met, there was no imminent danger, no threat lurking in the background, no need to look over his shoulder. There was only this moment.

And maybe he didn't know what came next.

But whatever it was—he wanted it with her.

Bella shifted slightly, wincing as she moved her leg. Jake whined softly, adjusting himself on the bed beside her, his golden eyes flickering between them as if monitoring every small movement. Edward huffed a small laugh.

"Looks like you've got a bodyguard," he murmured.

Bella smiled, scratching gently behind Jake's ear. "He always was one." She looked back at Edward. "Guess I have two now."

She chuckled, but there was something deeper beneath it—a quiet acknowledgment that she wanted whatever was next with him, too.

Edward's smile faded into something more thoughtful, certain.

"We'll figure it out," he said after a moment.

Bella hummed in agreement, her eyelids growing heavier as exhaustion tugged at her again.

Edward exhaled, leaning back slightly, not moving to leave.

He didn't know exactly what was waiting for them beyond this moment.

But for the first time in forever, he was willing to find out.