#jasper picking the flowers and trying to hide his plans because he knows the family will disapprove

[goldeneyedgirl]

Do you ever think you’ll expand/continue Anathema? It’s such a interesting concept and I’d love to see where you’d take the plot!

Yes! Anathema is kind of casually being developed into an actual fic, since it's kind of just a vibe and a collection of themes at the moment - I need to do some research into autopsies, morticians etc, plus there are some pacing issues and convoluted moments that need to be corrected.

I can tell you that Anathema will be a standalone fic, that it will be canon couples, and that there will be a lot more lore regarding supernatural beings.

The Villain of Anathema has been decided on, thankfully, but I'm still up in the air for what I want to do with Bella, with the Clearwaters, with Jacob, with Charlie etc. And whether it's worth bringing Cynthia in for shenanigans - because I do love giving Alice that sisterly dynamic.

I hadn’t expected Freddie to take the Cullens arrival in Forks particularly seriously - mostly loud reminders and the odd lecture to stay away, and that I would be able to slowly convince him that it couldn’t hurt for me to make an offer of friendship.  I was wrong. Freddie banned all contact with each and every single member of the Cullens, and refused to budge - I was restricted to the house; not that I’d ever really been allowed to roam Forks at will, or had any way to travel outside of my ancient bike. Now I wasn’t even allowed to go to the library or go out for snacks - or even pick up milk.  I was under house arrest. If I wasn’t in the basement working - and it was a relatively light week, death-wise, so I was stuck with the cleaning and organising - I was upstairs in the flat. My bedroom had never been so neat, and Freddie did feel at least a little bad for me since there had been no comments about how much online shopping I was doing. Dulcie definitely knew something was up, but wasn’t getting involved - though she had made a point of bringing me over cookies with a wink.  I’d also decided keeping my visions to myself was for the best right now; I didn’t need them misinterpreted or to add any fuel to the anti-Cullen fire. It wasn’t that hard to conceal them - I’d fainted once in the shower (it has to be said that it was because I was seeing one of the Cullens’ hunts from their perspective, and the combination of speed and vertigo hadn’t ended well) - but mostly I could blame my mind wandering.  Right up until I was making dinner and was sucked into a very nice vision of Jasper holding me, and came back to myself with Dulcie panicking and Freddie putting my right hand in a bowl of cold water since I’d apparently just dropped it straight onto the hot plate when the vision hit. That had meant Sue had to come over and bandage me up - a textbook second-degree burn, apparently -and both she and Freddie wanted to know what my vision was about. I’d babbled something about a car accident out near the interstate that they’d accepted, but Freddie kept a careful eye on me after that.  A couple of days later, I woke up to an agonisingly sore hand, a vision that the Cullens were doing their own recon on us, the Blacks, the Clearwaters, and the Swans… And a posey of flowers tucked carefully against my closed bedroom window with a slip of paper simply signed ‘Jasper Hale’. 

[darkestdesired]

Mates In Hell

Part:2

Heidi,Jane,Esme x reader (Romantic)

Alec x reader (platonic)

Cullens x reader (platonic)

Tags: @rexburn12

Part 1

An:Since this is a romantic pairing i aged Alec and jane up to 18 so their of legal age.

Also Idk why but i imagined the reader having a Russian accent while writing this XD it was strange but anyways I'm so sorry this took so long,i hope you like it!

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

Esme stuck close to my side ever since we met,though i didn't mind one bit.After years of solitude i had finally met my beautiful mate,i was content.

At least...i should be..

No matter what i did i still felt this empty hole in my chest,and though Esme helped to fill it i still felt empty.I felt selfish in a way,i didn't want Esme to feel like she wasn't enough.So i tried to brush it off and continued on living with the cullens.

Easier said then done.

I jumped into attack mode when the sound of glass shattering caught my attention,Esme followed after me as i ran downstairs to the first floor of our cottage,flames about to ignite from deep within.A sigh of relief flew out as i saw that it was only alice,who had merely dropped a vase of flowers she was bringing over,"Is everything alright little one?" I asked,helping her keep steady.

"How..Riley biers..he's still alive...and he's coming with a new army of newborns." She muttered. Apparently he was bad if Esmes terrified expression was anything to go off of,"Who is this..Riley Biers?"

Esme took Alice's hand,leading her into the living room as i followed.Mentally preparing herself before explaining everything.

"He tried to kill you all? Lost and has the audacity to try and fight you again?Does he have no honor?" Alice nodded before looking to her mother who was currently pacing infront of the fireplace,"when will they be here by?" I asked. "Before sundown tomorrow.In the same field from last time." Alice looked down,trying to recall every detail of her vision.

"What do we do? We can't risk him getting to Renesmee." Esme said as i stood up and pulled her into my arms.Kissing the top of her head i stared deep into her golden eyes,"I won't let them get her,i promise to protect all of you. Because if they want you they'll have to go through me first,and I'll unleash hells wrath on them." I stated cupping her cheeks protectively.

With that settled we called the others for a family meeting and went to the cullens house,quickly filling them in.

"But the Volturi are coming to check on Renesmee tomorrow." Bella stated hugging her daughter close,"We'll have to deal with them after...i should have finished Riley off myself but i didn't realize we never burned his body." Edward stated rubbing his wifes shoulder.

"Theres no use dwelling on that now.But Edwards right,one problem at a time.Riley was a follower,merely the face of the army before,he had no real control.But he's had a while to prepare,we'll be outnumbered." Jasper added,the major peeking out a bit in his tone.

"Yes but you've never had a Hellhound fighting beside you." I said with a smirk,"I've fought worse enemies then a few puny newborns.My fire and strength will deal with them quickly." Esme giggled when i flexed my arm muscle before wrapping one around her shoulders,surrounding her in my warm embrace.

While the others discussed battle tactics she watched my profile,She knew her family would be safe with me around.But she couldn't hide the pinch inside of her,I had been so off,as if there was a chunk of myself that wasn't satisfied.She hoped it was nothing,since i had been alone for so long she assumed i was just getting antsy.She just hoped the battle will satisfy me enough.

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

Heidi froze suddenly causing the twins to look at her in confusion,"Heidi what is it?" Alec asked seeing her dazed expression. "Don't you smell that? It's calming like lavender and as intoxicating as blood."

Jane sniffed the air,suddenly sharing Heidis expression."I do...where is that coming from..?"

Alec looked between the two with worry and confusion,"What are you guys talking about? I don't smell anything like that at all." Before he could even finish the two were already speeding off deeper into the forest,he huffed before following.

When the three guards finally stopped they realized they had stepped into the middle of a battle,newborns were being torn apart left and right by the cullens,the wolf pack and..a (P/n) on fire?

"Aro never mentioned another newborn army..where did they come from?" Alec asked watching as a newborn was ripped to shreds by one of the wolves.

As the two women watched they realized the person on fire was the source of the intoxicating smell.

They had to get closer.

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

Standing over Riley Biers i watched as he cowered down at my intimidating appearance,right as i was about to go for the kill the wind picked up.Sniffing the air my pupils dilated.

This familiar scent...where had i smelt it before?

Ahh that's right..the same scent that had flooded my senses when i first met Esme.

Turning around i saw two beautiful women and a confused man watching me,the womens red eyes widened slightly with parted lips.

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

As if under Zafrina's power their world suddenly changed around them.

Aro sat with his usual melicious grin, an evil glint in his eyes at the presence of the incoming figure.

"Is everything ready?" Aro asked raising a brow.

"Yes Master,training has gone wonderfully,their ready for the real thing." The ravenhaired king clasped his hands together.

"Wonderful,I'm counting on you...Riley."

Said man nodded,"But master,didn't you send the witch twins and Heidi to check on the hybrid?"

Aro tilted his head,clasping his hands together,"I trust that you'll dispose of them for me,If you succeed then you'll be replacing them." He said with a bastardly grin and an echoing chuckle.

That was the last thing they heard as the world returned to the present.

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

The three glanced at eachother with the same hurt expression,"He truly didn't care? Was he so ready to get rid of us?" Jane growled now glaring at Riley tempted to use her gift.

Heidi crossed her arms,"I should have seen this coming,no wonder he was so eager to send us on this mission..He wanted to kill us." Alec looked down,"He had planned this all along, and we played right into his trap.."

Esme watched them sadly,knowing immediately who they were talking about. But a sudden movement caught her attention,she gasped and yelled to her distracted mate.

"(Y/N)! LOOK OUT!"

Right as i turned back to Riley a newborn had tackled me off,As we rolled and tossled for dominance trying to find a leverage over the other Riley stood up glaring with a smirk at the Volturi guards."I'd say i pity you and apologize, but i really don't care." The three got into a fighting stance but Esme was quick to speed over and push the three behind her,"Stay away from them Riley." She hissed,he chuckled and walked closer"Or what? You're just the weak mother of the cullens right? You can't hurt me." She glanced past him for a moment,before looking at him with a smile.

"You're right,I might not be able to....but i know who can." Right as he went to attack a clawed hand ripped through his chest.The fire burned his marble skin causing him to scream in agony.

I roared as i tore him in half,throwing his upper half away from his lower half.My flames from hell were quick to turn him to ash,the wind blew his ashes away,proving he wasn't going to hurt anyone ever again.

"Are you all alright?" Esme asked quickly running to my side as i fell to my knees,my fire dispersing."I am alright my love,merely overwhelmed with my emotions." I huffed looking over at the two woman behind her.

Jane and Heidis red eyes were enchanting,a small smile rested on their lips,"You two,you are my mates?"

Esmes eyes widened,"What? I..I didn't realize you could have more than one? How is this possible?" I chuckled as she helped me up,"I am a hellhound,i stopped questioning why and how a long time ago." Walking over to them with a wide grin i held out my arms,chuckling when they ran into them.

"This is it Esme,All three of you together is what filled the whole in my heart!" She watched us for a moment before smiling,walking into the hug.

"I always thought I'd be destined to never find my mate,my gift never made anyones feelings for me anything more than lust." Heidi said burying her beautiful face in my neck. Jane rubbed her cheek into my chest,finally relishing in the touch of someone other than her brother.He was the only one to ever hug her.

"I suppose we'll need a bigger cottage now to fit all four of us." Esme said with a smile.

Janes head shot up,"Wait,what about my brother." She turned back to Alec who had a sad smile on his face,"It is alright sister,you have waited so long to find la tua anima gemella(your soulmate).I will be fine."

She looked up at me sadly,With a sigh i nodded,"I wouldn't dream of splitting siblings apart,he may live with us as well." She smiled and nearly toppled me over in a hug,laughing i lifted her and heidi up,esme brought alec over with a motherly smile.

She should feel jealous,but as she watched us,seeing the happy smiles on all of our faces made her realize something.

After years of waiting to finally find her mate,she finally found me,and now we were building a family of our own.

And so long as she was 'alive',nothing was going to tear us apart,she knew I'd make sure of it.

}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~}{

[gongju-juice]

3. Once Upon a Southern Night

Something Old, Something New

Warnings: Some racial tension. . .also might be some language but I can’t remember tbh

The thing about change is that it’s just that—change. You can change something, twist it, mold it, or turn it into whatever you wish for it to look like, but you cannot ever get rid of its original identity. 

Living in Forks was no short of that. Life was a blessing, and your days were filled with laughter and excitement. Beginning your senior year—Jasper had graduated—but the two of you were dating and closer than you’d ever been. He took you on dates to see the stars and bought you flowers and little trinkets to brighten your day. You read books in his lap and went on double dates with Amelia and her boyfriend, Stuart. 

You knew something was strange about your family—so much so that your mother’s weirdness no longer seemed so personalized. Maybe it was the fact they never ate around you, or maybe it’s the account of their golden eyes. And like your mother (and everyone else, frankly), your boyfriend was so inhumanly cold, like a Roman statue left in an icy museum.

But what did you look like asking such crazy questions? After all, what else could it be but coincidence? As for your mom and Carlisle, they were siblings—it was normal for them to share the same traits. But as for the others—Rosalie and Jasper were twins—and although they were different personality wise, they both had the same pale skin and bronze colored eyes. Maybe the old saying is true: living together with someone really does make you look alike.

One day while your family all hung out at the Cullen house, you received a letter in the mail. It was a bright, shimmering white envelope with fancy lace trimming. You opened it carefully—sure not to cut yourself so as to not to trigger Jasper’s weird paranoia around blood. 

“Oh my god!” you shouted, running into the living room. You looked at your mom. “Ivy and Dale are getting hitched!”

“Wow, Ivy?” she said. “I remember the two of you growing up like it was yesterday. When’s the date?”

“March 5. It’s going to take place on Dale’s parents’ farm. The reception’s going to be in the big barn house!”

You whirled in excitement, only to dizzy yourself into Jasper’s arms when you realized you’d fallen. He brushed a stray curl from your face.

“A wedding?” he said. “I thought Ivy was only seventeen.”

“You can get married in Alabama at sixteen with parental consent. I’m sure the Lauderdales were thrilled to hear of the good news. Dale has been hanging ‘round since we were six.”

You popped back onto the floor. “I’ve gotta find a dress and everything! Oh wait—I should call and see if we’re doing matching dresses or if we’re all gonna be wearing different ones.”

You picked up your phone and raced to the kitchen where you could find some privacy and feel free to freak out some more. She picked up on the third ring.

“Lucille!” you cried, “I can’t believe it’s finally happening! Please send me a picture of the ring ASAP, okay?”

She giggled. “It’s not a big deal, Y/N. We’ve been engaged since we were twelve. It’s just that now we’ve got that ice and permission to prove it.”

The phone buzzed and you looked at the image of the triple diamond ring which had a band of diamonds all around. You recognized that ring. It was Dale’s grandmother’s sacred family heirloom, the one that’s been locked up tight in their security safe. He only let you and her see it once when you were both thirteen and his parents were out in the field.

“I’m so excited for the bachelorette party!” you gushed. “We’re going to have so much fun! We should go to Pensacola and go to one of them spa places and then we can—”

“Y/N,” she said quietly, cutting you off entirely. “You’re not on the bridesmaids list.”

You were quiet, your flailing arms caught in mid air. “I’m not. . .but you said—”

“I’m sorry, girl, but Mama already chose who's going to be in my wedding. There’s 

Charlotte, Mary, Clarabelle, and Lydia. . .the ones I grew up with.”

“But. . .what about me? Didn’t. . .didn’t we grow up together?”

“Yeah, but. . .it’s just not the same, you know? Those people are family. You can still come to the wedding, of course. That’s why I sent the invitation.”

You’d be lying if you said you didn’t feel hurt. Here was your best friend telling you that you couldn’t be in the wedding. Mrs. Lauderdale. . .you thought she really liked you. Was it because you moved up north?”

“Oh, alright then. I was just—just calling to confirm the date. March 5, right?”

“Yeah, March 5.”

You hung up the phone and sighed at the counter, your head hung down. Just then, Jasper came walking in. He came up behind you and held you in place, his head resting on your shoulder. Suddenly, your mood improved instantly. But that was the thing about Jasper—he was always brightening your day when you felt down. It was part of the reason you adored him.

“You okay?” he whispered. “You know you don’t got to go to that wedding?”

You shook your head. “Of course I do. It’s my best friend’s wedding. How could I miss her big day? Besides. . .how did you even know I was sad?”

He stiffened. “I. . .uh. . .heard the conversation in the hallway.”

“Oh, well I guess that makes sense.”

He held you for a while against the hard granite. 

“Jasper?”

“Yes, darlin’?”

“Will you be my date to the wedding?”

“Absolutely.”

Rosalie was the one officially in charge in helping you pick your dress. Alice had a vengeful streak and wanted you to wear a big, white gown that would take all the attention away from Ivy.

“It’s wayyyy too hot in the south for that,” you pleaded, “and I ain’t trying to cause no trouble! It’s her Mama who did it, not Ivy.”

“She should’ve overridden that stupid decision then,” Alice continued, braiding your hair. It was still funny to know that the tiny pixie girl knew how to do a full-set of box braids. “If it was my wedding—”

“But it isn’t your wedding,” Rosalie insisted. “And Ivy isn’t your friend. Now like I was saying, Y/N, this little yellow sundress would look so cute with your skin tone. . .”

They even hooked up Jasper. They got him a nice cornflower blue dress shirt and a cream colored suit. Emmett even put on a whole show of picking his hairstyle, and even though they went through all that progress and hard work, you kindly reminded them that a heat wave was coming the weekend of the wedding and that it was best just to leave his curls the way they were. Jasper did not take kindly to his brother after that.

“Why don’t you come with us?” you asked your mom as she helped you pack the last of your luggage. “It’s gonna be so lonely with just me and Jasper. And besides, I’m sure everybody wants to see you!”

“No, no, I can’t. I’m scheduled for a surgery the day of the wedding. I can’t cancel it either. It’s a cancerous tumor that needs to be removed.”

You sighed, sitting up on your bed. “I can’t believe it’s here. She’s getting married, mom. We’re all going to be adults and pretty soon, if things go to according to plan, me and—” You cut yourself off as the overwhelming thought engulfed you.

“That’s right. You and Jasper will have your own wedding someday. . .speaking of which. . .we need to talk about the future.”

“The future?”

“Yes,” she sat on your bed. “There are some things you need to know before you set your eyes on your own big day. We’ll talk about that all soon, I promise. But as for now, go and enjoy yourself with Jasper. You’ll have him all to yourself. . .”

“Mom!” you shouted. “Jasper—he’s too sweet for that. He’s a real gentleman! It hasn’t even been that long ago since we had our first kiss, and he was scared to even do that!”

She raised her brows. “Hmmm, maybe that’s what he wanted you to think. But guys are never shy when it comes to that subject.”

The next day, your family wished you off at the airport. Jasper bought you first class tickets—a feat you deemed both extravagant and unnecessary—and you slept on his shoulder for most of the way. 

Immediately, touching down in your home state, everything felt so different. It was humid and hot; the type of sticky that makes your hair stick to the back of your neck, and people were so much more cordial then they were back at Forks. Some gave Jasper strange looks as he wound his fingers with yours, but again, nobody was unpleasant.

You would be staying at a hotel about thirty miles out from the country. There were, thankfully, two queen sized beds parallel to one another in the tiny room. But Jasper insisted sleeping in the living room part where a half wall separated the two of you.

On the big day, your boyfriend pulled out an authentic cowboy hat (the likes you’d never seen before), and the two of you headed down Ivy’s long dirt road. 

Fields of cotton and peas lined either side of the road, and for long stretches, there were no houses except the occasional large country home with animals and plots of cultivated land. The ditches teemed with life: jumping frogs, tadpoles, crawfish, and lillies. 

“Gosh, it’s been so long since I’ve been in the country,” he said. “This place isn’t much different from home.”

“Home? In Forks?”

“Rose and I—before we were adopted—used to live in Texas.”

“Really? That explains your accent! I just thought you watched too many western flicks. Oh, but why doesn’t Rosalie have one?”

“Well, she just hides it, I guess.”

You arrived at the house. There was a trail of cars already parked in the grassy yard, and people made their way in their finest Sunday’s best to the row of chairs arranged in front of the big oak tree where the minister stood.

“Y/N!” one of your old childhood friends exclaimed when she saw you. She was dressed in a teal dress, and at her side was some unknown boy you hadn’t met. “It’s so good to see you!” She looked at your boyfriend. “And who’s this?”

“Jasper Hale, ma’am, I’m her date for the evening,” he answered, tipping his hat. The row of women waiting to greet you gushed at his manners, and dare you say, they checked him out so openly. You hugged his bicep tighter.

“Just for the evening or indefinitely?” she cooed.

“Indefinitely.”

You sat down in one of the middle rows, and watched in awe as the wedding processional came down the aisle. Ivy was dressed in a glittery dress and carried the largest bouquet of white roses you’d ever seen. Dale had tears in his eyes as he looked up at his bride. They were so perfect, so in love, it made your insides melt.

After the beautiful ceremony, the party moved the barn. The rafters were draped in lights and white ribbons and flower petals covered the ground. You chose a table nearest to one of the wooden walls and curled into Jasper’s side.

“You look so gorgeous,” he said, tucking a dandelion behind your ear. “You out-shined the bride, and you didn’t even have to wear that ridiculous dress Alice was trying to shove you in.”

“All of my girlfriends keep whispering about you. You’re the real star tonight. The best looking man in both Washington and Alabama.”

Just then, Mrs. Lauderdale approached your table.

“Y/N, how are you honey?” she asked as you hugged her plump form. As the mother of the bride, she was dressed in a simple white dress and rocked a crown of flowers in her hair.

“I’m wonderful. Have you met my boyfriend?” You allowed her to inspect Jasper as he offered a hand.

“My, my. What a fine young man,” she cried. “Who knew you could get such a catch?”

She pulled you off to the side, and although Jasper tried to follow, you insisted he stay behind.

“I hope you aren’t upset about the whole bridesmaid situation,” she said, patting your shoulder. “We wanted a small processional anyway—makes it so we can get to the food faster.”

You shook your head. “‘Course not. It was such a beautiful ceremony. And Ivy—she’s stunning,” you said as you admired her twirling form with her new husband.

“Well anyway, John and the guys want to see you. John?”

Mr. Lauderdale greeted you with a nod. “How’s it going?”

“All good here,” you answered enthusiastically. In all honesty, John and his friends intimidated you with their skeptical expressions and hawk-like eyes. It was obvious the men of the family didn’t like you as much as the girls did—and that was fine. You were here for Ivy, not them.

“You got yourself a white boy?” Vernon, Ivy’s brother, asked. “A Yankee?”

“Actually, Jasper’s a Texan. And yes, he’s white. But it isn’t weird or anything.”

Like he was in on the conversation, he smoothly slid in beside you, his cold hand wrapping around your waist.

“Pleased to meet you,” he said as he addressed the men. “I’m a Houston native, by the way. I was raised on a farm myself—had a chocolate brown mare named Buttercup and a field full of bulls.”

“Ah, really? That makes me even more surprised to see you here.”

“Pardon me?”

Vernon smirked. “Y’all go and enjoy yourselves.”

Jasper pulled you away from the barn with a little more determination than you thought was needed. He hadn’t looked nor spoken until the two of you were completely alone by the fence where the ponies ran.

“Are you okay?” you asked softly. “You seem upset.”

“It’s nothing. I didn’t like the way those boys were talking. Had to get outside and clear my mind.” He pulled you closer to his body, and his cool skin felt good in the heat of the night.

“Holding you like this makes me get so sentimental,” he admitted. “It makes me want to take you to the nearest courtyard and get official. It makes me want to buy you a hundred acres and a big, nice house by a river. It makes me want to give you a bunch of kids to keep us company, so we can grow old together and live happily ever after.”

“I like when you get sentimental,” you breathed.

“But,” he stopped, “that last part might not be able to happen. There’s something you should know about me—about our family before you decide to give your heart away.”

“What do you mean? What could possibly be so earth-shattering that it’d make me stop loving you?”

He ran his thumb over your bottom lip, staring deeply into your eyes. His brows were creased, forehead wrinkled in thought. 

“Y/N, I wanted to wait to tell you, but I can’t stand lies. Most importantly, I don’t like to lie to you.”

“Just say it, baby.”

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the darkness. 

It was a tall man, about the same height and build as Jasper, with bright crimson eyes and long dark hair tied back in a ponytail. He stared at you intensely before casting his burning gaze to Jasper.

“It’s been a long time, old friend,” he said darkly before inhaling deeply. “And it’s been even longer, Camille.”

And here the real story begins. Also I like cowboy Jasper playing with ponies maybe I’ll do a drabble on that.

Part One    Part Two   Part Four

[sometimesrosy]

The Carriage House, ch 7: The Plum Wine’s Divine

The Carriage House

rosymamacita

Chapter 7 read on A03

Bellamy and Clarke reach an equilibrium over the summer. It's driving Bellamy nuts.

You guys are gonna hate me. ;)

Something changed after that night, and Bellamy wasn’t sure what. Something about the carriage house settled then. At first it was a relief, that this tension between them seemed to have ebbed, but then he began to worry. Was this just the way it would always be? Bellamy spending all his time on his own tasks, and Clarke spending her time on hers. Separate but amicable?

He should be happy. This was what he wanted. A good relationship with Clarke Griffin that wasn’t in danger of imploding because of his unrequited feelings. It helped that he poured all those feelings into the book. Admitting to himself that it was about her made a difference. Whenever he was frustrated or particularly longing for her, he’d just write it into the story. He stuffed in way too many chapters about how they touched each other, instead of focusing on their survival in the apocalypse, but he didn’t really care. He just needed to get it out. It was a coping strategy and he was aware of it.

He still had half the summer to go before getting back to school and he tried to fill his time up with non Clarke activities, and he had the feeling it would be okay. It was in equilibrium. He got his coffee in the morning and took a deep breath when he saw Clarke getting set for her day, before he headed back to his room to work on the next chapter. He thought he might be able to finish his first draft before he had to go back to school. The carriage house was a blessing. He didn’t need to pick up a summer job bartending or doing curriculum planning or anything, because his rent was so damn reasonable. He could focus and actually write for once. And if he had to tamp down a surge of disappointment that the attraction he felt for Clarke hadn’t been pushed to the surface and addressed and dealt with once and for all, whether it meant he could love her for real or had to accept it never being more than fake, well… he put that frustration into his book, too.

“Have fun, Clarke,” he told her, when she said she was heading to the museum with her sketchbook for the day. She eyed him as he slipped off up the stairs with his coffee and his hair as mussed as his brain.

He was just settling down to chapter 15 when there was a scratching at the door.

“Bellamy?”

“What is it Clarke?”

She opened the door and poked just her head in. Her hair was twisted up in a knot on the top of her head and a little bit of the pink she’d dyed the ends with for the summer showed. She was freaking adorable. “Did you want to come with me to the museum?”

He blinked at her. He thought for a minute about wandering through the museum with her, letting her show him her favorite art works, him dragging her down to the roman weapons section. “The Museum” always meant The Metropolitan. He knew her that well. “I love the museum,” he said, afraid suddenly that it sounded too much like ‘I love you,’ so he hurried on, “but I’m really getting into this part in my book and I don’t want to lose my inspiration. I only have until school starts.”

“Why do you only have until school starts? You can keep writing after we go back to school.”

“Clarke.” It felt like a scold. “Teaching is my job. This is a hobby. I’m enjoying it, but I’m under no illusions that it’s anything but a hobby to pass the time. It’s fun, that’s all.”

“Hmm,” she said and pushed in the door to lean up against the doorjamb. She wore a white dress sprigged with summer flowers. It flowed down her body and revealed acres of creamy cleavage. He was speechless. Good thing she didn’t require him to speak. She took a deep breath and he refused to let himself watch her breasts rise. “I’ll bring something back for you.”

He nodded. Still without words. She smiled with a twinkling eye and left, closing the door behind her.

He took a moment to find out how to breathe again, and then shook his head and got back to writing. He’d find a way to work that into this chapter if it killed him.

*** He jumped when a knock came at his door some time later. He shook himself out of the daze he’d fallen into writing. “What’s up?”

Clarke opened the door and stuck her head in. “Hey, I picked up some steaks for dinner.”

He blinked at her. “Dinner already? Didn’t you just leave?”

She grinned and stepped in, one hand behind her back, still wearing the pretty dress. “Silly, that was hours ago. I just was in the mood for steak. So I got some. I’m going to put them on, but I wanted to give you a heads up. You think you can take a break in a half hour or so?”

He cleared his throat. “Uh, yeah. I haven’t actually taken a break yet and I probably should.”

She smiled wider. “So it’s been a good day of writing. Perfect. I got this for you. It can be a celebration.” She held out her hand that had been behind her back. “It’s a mug.” She took a few steps across the room towards Bellamy as he just stood and watched. “Look.” She held it up for him.

Michelangelo’s painting The Creation of Man was stretched around it.

“It’s from the Sistine Chapel.”

“I know where it’s from,” he said and took it from her, looking at it. “Thanks, but why did you get me this.”

She shrugged and looked away almost bashfully. Bellamy stared. She was never bashful. “I don’t know. Because you’re the creator. Creating something. Like a god.”

His mouth dropped open.

She rolled her eyes and punched him in the shoulder. “Don’t be a jerk about it.” She tossed her hair over her shoulder and flounced out. “Dinner in thirty minutes. I don’t want to mess up your writing session so plan accordingly.”

Then she was gone and he was rubbing his shoulder where she punched him. Not because it hurt. Just because he still felt her there and he wasn’t sure what had just happened.

***

They went back to normal. Bellamy used ‘normal’ tentatively, because he didn’t understand what normal was. She wasn’t just his colleague. She wasn’t just his friend. She wasn’t just his roommate. She was something more than that but what she was to him, or more importantly, what he was to her was completely a mystery to him.

They still pretended to be married around Vera. And pretended to be dating around Clarke’s mother or Roan their new assistant principal or Marcus the owner of the house or even Jackson, who now believed that their relationship was of the “complicated” variety. Which he supposed was true. And not an act at all. But the little touches and kisses and how close they sat, whenever one of those people was around WAS an act. And for some reason, one of those people ALWAYS seemed to be around. He wasn’t quite sure how it happened. Bellamy and Clarke’s friends and family kind of just got folded into Vera’s friends and family and soon, they weren’t just hanging out with Miller and Monty and Jasper and Raven, their friends, but also with Jackson and Harper, an intern from Marcus’ business, Maya, a woman from Vera’s church who helped her with gardening, Luna, the psychic from across the street, and Murphy, Vera’s regular pizza delivery guy, who now lived in the tiny basement apartment of her brownstone with his girlfriend Emori, who… to be honest, Bellamy had no clue what Emori did.

The act became a natural thing. An easy thing. A constant thing. A habit. Something he barely even thought about. And it never went over the bounds again, but it flirted with the boundaries every day and drove him mad. They behaved with a level of intimacy that was always right on the edge of romance. No displays. Just casual affection. Everyone in their new lives just accepted it as who they were to each other. Weird, independent, maybe staring a little bit too long.

Even their friends who knew the truth stopped acting as if it was the funniest joke ever. It just was. Bellamy and Clarke just were. They were together and it was right and the way it was supposed to be.

And he ached for her, while she was right there.

*** “Bellamy!” came Clarke’s voice through the door. Sing songy and insistent. “Bellamy you promised…”

He sighed and put his book down. He wasn’t writing. Truth be told, he’d finished the book. No one knew though. He was hiding in his room pretending to write as an excuse to keep hiding, but there was an itch under his skin. It made it impossible to sit still and he wasn’t sure what it was. School planning was starting in just a couple days, and he felt like things had settled, but were unsettled. It was this middle ground. He didn’t know what to make of it.

“What did I promise exactly?”

Clarke opened the door even though she hadn’t been invited, not really. They had a tendency not to pay attention to polite niceties like knocking. One of those things. She slipped in the door wearing a low cut v-neck t-shirt and a short shorts. Summer really did a number on her wardrobe. It’s like she wasn’t trying to cover any skin at all. “You promised to show me the constellations.”

His sigh was bigger this time.”Clarke. We’re in the middle of New York City. There’s too much light pollution. Some day I’ll take you out to Montauk and we can sit on the beach and I’ll show you out there.”

She smiled so happily he was stunned. “Yes please! I will hold you to that one, too, but you can’t break this promise. You said you would on the next clear night. You said you might be able to see some of them and show me.”

“I don’t remember, I must have been drunk,” he grumbled, although he kind of did. There was definitely some of Monty’s home brewed beer involved. And Raven’s sciencey excitement over some of Hubble’s latest photos that had gotten everyone fired up. Especially after he told them that in his book he was writing, the heroes came from a dying space station, meant to save them after the world was made uninhabitable. He’d had a bit too much to drink and had let out his story without thinking. They jumped on that and pressed him for more details, so he distracted them with stories of constellations. They were drunk enough that it worked.

“Bellamy…” she sang again, with a half smile. She wasn’t letting it go.

“Fine.” He laboriously got up from his desk. Her giant smile making his act of reluctance really hard to maintain, until she grabbed his hand and he just let the grumpy act go entirely. He was a little too happy to follow her out into the garden, his hand in hers.

“I’ve already had Vera turn off all the lights in the garden so we can see,” Clarke said. He couldn’t really see her, but her voice was like whiskey and shivered down his spine.

He sat down in an adirondack chair, and she piled herself in his lap.

“What are you doing?” he asked, stunned.

“I need to be close to you so that I can see the stars you are pointing at. They’re pretty dim. And I can barely see you at all.” She curled her arm around his neck and pressed her face next to his. “What is that one called?” She pointed at the brightest one, he followed her finger. The north star.

“The north star.” He said, distractedly. She was so soft against him.

“So does that mean you can find your way in the wilderness with that?”

“It’s not a compass, which points to true north. Magnetic north.”

“Ah. Yes. I need true north to find my way.” Her words whispered over his skin. “But if I don’t have one, how do I know which is the north star?”

He sighed. “I told you there was too much light pollution.”

“You promised.”

He sighed and resisted the desire to run his hands up and down her thigh, her arm, her back, all that delicious exposed skin, and instead began pointing out to her the stars he could see. Then the stars that should be visible if their skies had been darker and then he let go of the stars they could see at all and just told her stories about gods and monsters and felt as if he were somehow connected to the divine, just because he was touching her and she was smiling softly at him as she listened. He wanted to kiss her.

“Hello kids. I didn’t know you’d be out here,” Vera said. “What a coincidence. I was just going to leave this at your door.” She held up a bottle filled with a dark brown liquid.

“What is it?” Clarke said brightly, looping her arm around Bellamy’s neck and reaching out for the bottle.

Vera smiled— Bellamy would have called it a smirk, but Vera wasn’t the type to smirk. She was entirely too sweet. “This is my plum wine. A batch has just matured. Here, drink.” She popped the cork out and handed the bottle to Clarke.

Clarke gasped with happiness, wiggling just a little in his lap in a way that was hard to deal with, and then put the bottle to her lips and tipped it up. “Oh my god. That is delicious.”

“I know. It’s the secret ingredient of my sangria. Right there. A little bit of bottled magic.”

Bellamy rolled his eyes just a little. Vera didn’t catch him but Clarke did. She gave him a warning look. “Taste Vera’s plum wine, Bellamy. Do you want me to feed it to you?” There was a teasing look in her eyes.

He glared at her and took the bottle. There was a moment when he first tasted it where it was almost like medicine, but when he held it in his mouth, it deepened and richened. It was dark and sweet. Heavy with fruit. The perfume filled his head. Swallowing, the alcohol heat followed down into his stomach. “It’s strong.” He said, his voice deeper.

“It’s good,” Clarke said, took the bottle and pulled deep on it. She licked her lips and he could almost see the sweetness of the dark purple wine on the tip of her tongue. It was entrancing.

“Your turn,” she said, smiling and holding it out to him.

“I shouldn’t…” the words didn’t hold much strength.

“You should. We’re going back to work in a couple of days. Live a little, Bell.” When she smiled, her tongue poked out from behind her teeth and he couldn’t stop looking.

He nodded and took another drink, long and hard.

“Well,” Vera said, her voice full of happiness. She was always so pleasant. “I’ve done my duty and delivered my secret weapon to you.”

“Weapon?” Bellamy asked.

“Ingredient. Same thing. Enjoy the last few days of your vacation kids. I’m going to turn in for the night.”

And then she’d gone back into the ivy covered brownstone and Bellamy and Clarke sat there, her warm in his lap, trading sips. He found his breath synchronizing with hers. When she laughed, her forehead tipped forward and pressed against his forehead. He couldn’t help sliding his palm up and down her arm. Her skin was like velvet.

When his phone rang, he jumped and nearly dumped her on the ground. He shook his head. To clear it. It wasn’t working. He tapped her knee indicating that he was going to get up. She grumbled and climbed off of his lap.

He checked his phone. “Octavia,” he said, puzzled. This was not their regular call. She didn’t usually call him out of the blue. “I need to take this.”

Clarke bit her lip and nodded, Sitting back down in the chair as he walked to the edge of the patio. “Hey O. What’s wrong?”

“Nothing. I’m just trying to straighten out the holidays and vacation and all. You and Clarke are coming to Ann Arbor for Thanksgiving, right? And we’re coming to you for Christmas?”

“Uh, she usually spends holidays with her mom.”

“So you’re going to DC with her instead?”

“No. I’ll have thanksgiving with you and she’ll have thanksgiving with her mom.”

Octavia snorted. “Really, Bellamy? You’re not spending the family holidays with your wife— I mean girlfriend? It will be your first together right?”

He glanced over at Clarke. She was looking away but he could tell she was listening. He cleared his throat. “We’re not like that, O.”

She looked at him, and he couldn’t tell in the shadows, but for a minute he thought it was naked pain on her face. But then she took a deep pull on the bottle, and it resolved into a happy smile. His heart beat fast.

“Sure you aren’t.” Octavia said, and he could imagine her rolling her eyes. “You’re in love with her.”

He swallowed. He couldn’t tell her he wasn’t. That would be a lie. He couldn’t tell her he was. That would be admitting too much. He couldn’t give away the ruse, because for all he knew Vera was listening from one of her windows. “It’s just how we are, O. Don’t make it mean more than it means. You know what we are to each other.”

There was a pause on the phone. His eyes found Clarke’s again and she was staring at him. Full of shadows again. He didn’t know what.

“I’m going in,” Clarke said, without warning. And he wondered if he’d hurt her. He didn’t want to hurt her.

“Clarke…” he called, but she was down the path already, the wine bottle abandoned on the table. And Octavia was demanding his attention.

“You’re so stupid Bellamy,” O said. He knew already. “She’s in love with you, too. Did you not notice? I can’t believe you’re not together yet.”

“Listen O, I can’t talk now I have to—“

“The hell you can’t. You’re going to stay on the phone until I beat it into you.”

He should have hung up. His sister was relentless when she was on a mission. But instead, he stayed, because it was better than running after Clarke like he really wanted to do and making a mess of everything with his hopeless love for her and his drunken lack of inhibitions. He really shouldn’t have had that much plum wine, but she kept urging him. And he had a hard time not giving her what she wanted.

He finally got Octavia to accept that he knew he was a fool and let him hang up. He grabbed the nearly empty bottle of wine and followed Clarke down the path into their apartment.

With the lights off, it seemed mysterious. Like a different place. Like the inside of his heart, all the twists and turns, shadows, the sweet smell of how much he loved Clarke. He wanted her back in his arms and he wanted to taste the wine on her lips and drink from the beauty that was her.

He found himself taking the stairs two at a time. He needed to talk to her. He knew something was wrong and Octavia had drilled into him how much he loved her for the last ten minutes. He knew it and he couldn’t bear if he’d said something wrong. The light was still on her room. He opened the door and walked in.

“Clarke, I just—“ he stopped.

She was in her bed, under a thin sheet. Her shoulders were bare and gleamed under the lamp. She was naked under the sheet.

It was soft and draped over her every curve and dip. Her nipples made sharp peaks in the fabric on the soft mounds of her breasts. Her hips were rounded and lush. Her arm led down between her thighs.

Clarke licked her lips and let out a sigh. “Bellamy…” it was barely a word. Her hand began to move.

Bellamy gripped the doorknob to keep from going to her, from pulling the sheet off of her so he could see her, naked and beautiful. From pressing her into the bed with his own body and replacing her hand with his. He wanted to make her come, to feel her moan against his skin. He held on to the door to keep from trailing his tongue over her beaded nipples and sucking. From tasting her. From devouring her mouth with his own.

He wanted to fuck her.

So hard.

He wanted her to be his.

He wanted to love her.

He was so drunk. So was she. He knew it was the plum wine. She wouldn’t do this— It was always when she was drunk. A lump rose in his throat.

“Sorry,” he said, and ducked his head, trying to ignore the way her hand was speeding up under the sheet. When he closed the door, he heard her come.

Or cry.

He wasn’t sure which.

He raked his fingers through his hair. He shouldn’t have had so much to drink. God he was so hard. He wanted her so bad.

But he resisted the urge to turn around and throw that door open again, pulling her into his arms and taking care of her in whatever way she needed. Not like this.

He went to his room, locked the door, and stripped. He jerked off so violently he wasn’t sure if he was finding release or punishing himself.

[stan-the-fic-man]

All Roses Wilt - Final

Several Days Later

This was infuriating. Why was she not gone yet? Why was she still here?

Ever since the day that Rose Quartz had come back, Jasper had been avoiding her like some type of gem mutation. If she did catch sight of her then she would quickly turn her back and move out of the room, not saying anything because of the possibility that she would cause all of the stars in the universe to collapse due to the vileness of her cutting tongue.

Jasper was not a coward. She was not running. It was simply her trying to be a better person; attempting to crush Rose's gem would put her in hot water, as Lapis described it. And truthfully, she had thought that she was past obsessing about Rose, she should be now that she had a support system for the emotional scars that had been left behind. She was supposed to be better now, not this.

Right?

It didn't matter. The hologram that had played awhile ago contained all of the answers she needed. At first, she had been shocked about Pink Diamond's decision, struggling on how she should take it until she realized that it made sense. Pink Diamond had always loved this planet, the Earth had been like her child. Eventually, acceptance washed over her, her loyalty unbinding and never fading.

Still, she would not — could not — forgive Rose for what she had done. It didn't matter if her Diamond had wanted it that way. Rose had been the reason why so many of her comrades and 'siblings' died, why she had grown to hate Earth and herself, why she had lost her only purpose for living, why guilt had swarmed her for years for not meeting the expectations bestowed upon her, why she had been born in the first place.

Bitterness dwelled in her. It always will.

Although right now, as she sat outside the barn in the grass, she found herself not thinking about that. Jasper busied herself with twisting a hollyhock, her diamond's favorite, in her gloved hands. Its petals skimmed over the pink diamond crest inside of her gloves, sweet irony filling the gesture.

Suddenly, a sound came from the distance that made her head snap up, instincts kicking in while her gaze darted back and forth. She stopped twisting the flower.

"Who goes there?"

The day that Rose had shared with Greg and Steven had ended some time ago. She had given both of them a day to remember, and she also remembered to give Greg and evening that he would surely not forget for the rest of his life. All in all, it was a very good day, and she had even managed to be around the next morning to have a family breakfast with them.

While Rose didn't think that she would be around for much more than a couple of days, she seemed to be beating the odds and lasting much longer than anyone anticipated. With this in mind, she went about the past few days making a few things right.

She had given each gem as much time as they needed to talk to her, and it paid off. Pearl was now ready to move on with her life and start back up with seeing someone new. Bismuth and her came to both apologize to each other. She and Lapis were okay with each other, and even the Ruby's managed to find it in themselves to give her a second look. Overall, it looked like Rose had managed to give closure where it was needed for everyone.

All except one.

While Rose had been doing her best to do what everyone had asked and kept away from Jasper, there was something still greatly bothering her. Jasper had been one of the most relentless gems that had fought in the war, and the two had crossed paths on more than one occasion. It was clear that, out of all gems out there, she had taken what had happened the hardest.

With this in mind, Rose knew that she would need some very serious closure. Whether or not she could give it... that remained to be seen.

For the last day, she, Greg, Steven and the others had been down at the barn, just enjoying themselves. While Greg and Steven had busied themselves with a few of the others, Rose took it upon herself to go looking for Jasper. It didn't take long, but she was quickly found out.

Knowing that there was no sense in hiding from her, Rose came into full view and simply looked at Jasper with a knowing face. She knew that he had been avoiding her, but they needed to settle this once and for all. No matter how this ended, it would at least be the end of it.

"It's been a long time, Jasper."

The moment that her poor eyesight zeroed in on Rose, her body defensively tensed and she was up on her feet. If it were not for the hollyhock stuck between her fingers, then she was sure that she would have clenched her fingers hard enough that it would leave marks.

"You," she spat out, the venom in her tone not bothering to conceal itself, "What do you want, Quartz? I thought you would have had half the mind to have disappeared by now."

Due to spending majority of her life in training for the moment that she would come face to face with Rose Quartz or a foe that equaled her strength, she was on her toes. She scanned over Rose with an obvious scowl while her body twitched, begging for her to either lunge or walk away. Jasper took a step back whilst the flowers slid itself between her fingers and hit the ground.

It was incredibly difficult for Jasper to believe that the gem in front of her had once served underneath Pink Diamond. Rose could have very well been her ally at one point in her life, yet here she was the complete opposite. Technically, now they could be called comrades, however, she could not. Even if she understood her views and saw why she saw the world the way she did — after all, she was a Crystal Gem now — she could not bear to consider herself on the same par as her.

It made something deep inside of her boil, steam practically seeping through her. Her eyes narrowed and she bared her teeth, obviously not wanting to be in the same vicinity as the sickness that laid in front of her.

"Don't answer that. I am going to tell you to leave only once — go."

Rose had expected no less than that type of reaction. Come to think of it, she had thought that it would be much more volatile. But, considering Jasper's current relationship with the Steven and the other gems, it was likely that she was holding back for their sake.

Even with the warning being issued to her, Rose didn't falter at all. When the flowers hit the ground, a few petals came off and were picked up by a small gust of wind. Reaching her hand out, Rose tenderly grabbed one of the petals with her fingers. Upon closer look, she knew what those flowers were. It seems almost fitting that they would be here while the two of them spoke. Or, at least Rose hoped they would speak.

"You know as well as anyone that I've never been very good at avoiding danger." Rose said, releasing the petal back into the wind, "I am not here to fight, Jasper."

She again ignored the warning that was issued to her. Even if Jasper chose to attack her now, it would make little difference. Rose knew that her time was running short and that it didn't matter how it ended. She was less afraid of death than she had ever been, and was ready to go at any point after everything that had happened.

"There were debts that I owed to so many here." Rose said, slowly taking a step forward, "You are one that I owe a very big one to. I know you have questions, I know that you're angry, so I just need to know one thing. What is the least I can do for you?"

Why was she not listening? Why was she getting closer?

The simple gesture made Jasper take another step back, no, two steps for every one that Rose took. Her fingers curled into tighter fists when she saw Rose catch one of the petals, her golden eyes narrowing with fire stirring in them. Another burst of anger rushed through her. She had no right to do that, no right to touch that type of flower, no right to be associated with it.

That was when the question came and she felt herself boil. Before she could stop herself, Jasper reached out and suddenly clasped her fingers around the frontal fabric of Rose's dress. She roughly pulled her close so that Rose was looking at her, Jasper being only slightly taller than her. The way that her nails were digging into the dress threatened for it to tear if she pulled it anymore.

"Nothing. That's the big damn joke here, Rose, you can't do anything for me. I don't want your pity or your 'help,' that has never done anything for me. I guess there is one thing though — you could do me a favor and leave before I take the pleasure of shattering your gem myself. You're lucky that I am even considering letting you walk away," she snarled in return, a flurry of emotions rushing through her, unable to stop herself, "In fact, I was doing fine before you decided to show up. Is this your big plan? To do one last 'saving grace' before you disappear for good? Well, you can look for that in someone else because you won't be finding it here."

Jasper let her go and harshly shoved her away in warning. Maybe Rose was not searching for a fight, but with that know it all attitude, she might just get one.

Even when Rose was forcibly grabbed by her dress and pulled forward, she didn't change her expression. Jasper had been the only gem thus far to actually do what she had expected this entire time. She had expected this from the get-go, and it did little to actually surprise her in what she said.

After she was shoved away, Rose yet again let the warning not phase her. Instead, she spoke up with words that she still meant.

"I wish that you would." Rose told her in a solemn tone, "Frankly, it's what I deserve. Out of everyone here, you are the only one who's echoed my sentiments. Really, after everything that I've done, I don't deserve to even be in your presence.

Even though Jasper had taken several steps back, Rose stood in the same place and then folded her hand behind her back.

"If that is what you need to have closure with all of this, then do so." Rose said, lowering her head slightly, "I won't stop you. I simply want all the wrong that I've done to be made up for. I can't change what I did or even come close to making things right but if this will help you, then do it."

It would be a lie if she said that the reaction did not somewhat take her aback. It had been unexpected, not something that she would have ever expected to leave the relentless Rose Quartz's mouth. Anger was still crawling through her, making her feel vexed and irritable, refusing to let her go.

By now, there was no fixing the way that Jasper saw Rose. After thousands of years of thinking, of being drilled in whispers of revenge, there was no going back. Some wounds never healed. Instead, reopening and bleeding more until there was nothing left to give, leaving a gaping injury that could not seal itself. That was what Rose was to her.

And she was told that like actual roses, their Rose was a thorn in Homeworld's side that never gave up on her cause.

So seeing her bow her head and give in was something that she viewed as disgraceful. Rose spoke with words of defeat, almost like she was trying to give Jasper what she wanted while simultaneously guilting her. However, she was wrong — this was not what Jasper wanted, it was what the conditioning she had been put through wanted. Either way, there was no honor in striking down Rose if she would not or could not fight back. This was not the same as the battlefield.

Therefore, she unclenched her fingers and straightened out her jaw, hatred continuing to unfold in her eyes even though it wanted to retreat.

"No," she thinly replied, "No, I won't do that because that would be giving you what you want, wouldn't? This isn't about me, it's about you. You came to me since you knew I would do it. Hah, maybe I should, but I won't let you be a coward, Rose. You always run away from your problems, leaving them for everybody else to pick up. This is just another, quicker way out for you, isn't?"

A sigh left her and she shook her head, gaze still fixated on Rose.

"You know that Homeworld expected for me to fill your shoes? To be just as good, just as great as you were, except I couldn't be 'tainted' like you had been by this planet. My entire life, I lived in your shadow."

While Rose had been ready to be struck down at a moments notice, she was also aware that Jasper was not one to fight if they didn't fight back. It was something of a shared, unspoken code of honor between all quartz. Still, that didn't mean that she wouldn't have expected her to do it, but it seemed that her tongue had been loosened instead.

The words that came from Jasper were clearly meant to be unkind and jab at old places that had long since been looked over. It didn't make Rose angry, nor did it hurt her in any way. The only thing that it was doing was reaffirming what she had already thought about herself. But the last thing that Jasper spoke of was something that caught her attention.

"Run away?" Rose asked, holding her soft tone, picking her head up, "The whole reason that war continued was that I couldn't run away. The reason that gems died and we're shattered was because I couldn't let go. They died for me when I wasn't even worth the dust on their soles. As for Steven, I never wanted him to be a part of... this. My problems were not supposed to be his, he wasn't supposed to have my enemies, and he wasn't supposed to fight for a cause I failed at. He was supposed to choose his own life, and be better than me. It may not be a high bar, but he was supposed to be as far away from what I was as possible."

Rose then thought about what Jasper said at the end.

"Fill my shoes?" Rose asked again, "Since when did Yellow Diamond set her standards so low? Any gem is better than me and could be better than even anything set for them if they had the chance. I'm sorry that you had to live your life in a disappointments shadow. You and every other gem deserve far better than that. Fat better than what I ever did, or could do. My life is nothing in comparison to all those who couldn't be here."

Again, the response was not what she expected and, surprisingly enough, not what she wanted to hear.

The way that Jasper heard Rose speak about herself was pathetic. It was different from the Rose that she had heard speak from the war. She had always been shouting commands, directing her armies with grace and unfaltering power. Rose had been a rock that would not break no matter how many times people tried to cross it.

No solace came to Jasper from the words. If anything, for some reason, it frustrated her further to hear Rose speak in such a way. True, it was a given that Jasper would never offer her kindness or sympathy, so the pull in her chest was something different. Soon, she pinpointed it and realized why. Looking up, she lunged forward and suddenly clasped Rose's cheeks by her hands so that eye contact was established between them.

"Yes, you are a disappointment and a failure, you are absolutely nothing," she bluntly agreed, not bothering to hide how she felt about it, until she growled, "But don't you undermine my life or the work of your soldiers. Us soldiers, we were made to fight for a cause, not for nothing. Although I once disagreed with your goals and motives, I now see the reasoning behind them and I respected you, but now? Now you speak of your people as though what they gave themselves up to something that had been worthless. I had gems from my kindergarten — my sisters — that came to your side because they saw something in you that I did not. Do not insult their deaths. They had passed with honor and you should recognize that. Do not insult Steven either for trying to fix what you had broken. No matter how you look at it, you are a runner. Even now, you lose yourself in your own problems, not considering the point of views of others. Maybe I find you a disappointment, but others don't so don't you dare bow your head down in defeat."

Her fingers slipped away.

"Leave and stop acting like that. I already told you twice. There is nothing you can find here in me."

Jasper's sudden movement did surprise Rose a bit, but she did not show it. The way that her hands forced her to look at her, and the feeling of her nails digging into her skin was something that felt very real and concrete. Something that she knew Jasper would want being taken seriously.

She listened intently to her, absorbing everything that had been said and taking them to heart. Rose would never dishonor those who had fallen, as they had far more worth than she did. The entire reasoning behind what she had said was to merely show that she was bearing herself for what she truly was. However, that didn't mean that Jasper was wrong. She had been selfish in think only about what the results were, rather than why they had done it from the very beginning.

Yet Rose could not leave at what Jasper had said. There was more to it than she thought. There was one last secret that she had. One that no one, absolutely no one, knew about.

"You're right on many fronts." Rose told her, "While there is no doubt that they have their honor, I still think she would have been the better one for what happened. Pink would have known how to ensure that the cause would have been fulfilled."

Rose took a pause and looked down at the flowers, thinking over what she would say next.

"It's funny. Everyone thinks that things start with just one person, but it starts long before that. It starts as an idea, a thought, at zero if you will." Rose said, "The moment that zero turns to one, is the day everything springs to life. One becomes two, two becomes ten... ten becomes one hundred. By making me take those actions, Pink Diamond had turned my zero, into one hundred. Ever since then, all I wanted was to make her dream a reality. With that destroyed, I took it upon myself to try and bring that zero... back to nothing. The end of me was supposed to be the start of something new, and better. Yet here it is again... on the threshold of being that one hundred again. Only this time, it's being done right."

Rose took her eyes from the flowers, and then looked directly at Jasper.

"Whether it is by your hands or not, my life is over. Even if it wasn't what you wanted to see, my death is certain."

As if cued by her words, Rose grunted as she felt a sudden surge of pain go through her body, and she was forced to her knees while she clutched her gem. Faint cracking could be heard, and she looked down to see that fractures started forming in her gem.

It was happening.

Her anger sizzled away bit by bit as she listened to the words, like a storm calming down after an outpour. And she stared at her as Rose admitted that Pink Diamond would have done this better, what her concept of ideas was, everything that was left began to spill out like a wild waterfall.

Jasper knew she would never be able to understand. There was a part of her that still did not and that was not planning on it anytime soon, yet another section of her mind protested. It was the part that Amethyst taught to be playful, Garnet taught to be loving, Lapis taught to be patient, Pearl taught to be intuitive, Peridot taught to be logical, and Steven taught to be empathetic. The one that begged her to allow herself to do a final expression to how she truly felt about this, rather than blinding her by her own rage. Her own self-pity and the need for revenge was what had been corrupted her, metaphorically speaking.

And now Rose was breaking too, in her own way. Like real roses, she was wilting and fast, fading away from reality. However, she was also leaving room for other flowers to bloom in her steps, perhaps to grow even more vibrantly than she had. She collapsed to her knees and held her gem as it glowed. Jasper nearly backed away before the vexation in her eyes subtly faded as they crinkled instead.

There was nothing she could say to cut down Rose more. There was nothing to win.

Rose was already defeated.

She wondered if there was a universe where the two of them were comrades. Side by side, they would have fought and cared for one another with greatness, like humans did with their 'siblings.' In a way, they technically were like that, coming from the same damned, hopeless place. Rose was still one of her own, no matter how much she wanted to turn her cheek at that. Jasper would be the last that she would ever see. She knew she could not offer her the same type of condolence that everybody else would be able to, yet she still felt like she had to do something. This was no way for a soldier to go out.

So Jasper fell to her knees in front of Rose. In comparison, she was still bigger, her form nearly hovering over. A hesitant movement sufficed from her as she reached her crimson hand out and the tip of her fingers brushed against Rose's knuckles. She felt a faint tremble rock them while she shut her eyes completely, giving in this one time.

"You always were Pink's favorite," she whispered, "No matter my opinion, she would have taken pride in your work and I respect that. My point of view is twisted, broken up, and unreliable; even now, I am biting my tongue. Clearly, everyone else saw something within you though that was worth fighting and living for... Simply remember that because I am sure that they are not wrong."

Rose sat there on her knees, still slightly clutching her gems as she felt the cracks at her fingertips. It was oddly cathartic, the way she felt her own gem cracking, as she had held the shards of so many of her fallen comrades. She made it her mission to never shatter gems, but was sometimes left with no choice. Now she was feeling their pain, and would soon join them in eternity.

She felt a hand go over her own and looked up to see Jasper's eyes looking back into her own. While the animosity was still there, there was now something that looked like understanding in her eyes. That feeling carried into her words, and she spoke about understanding things and seeing how people could trust her. With a bit more confidence than before, Rose lifted herself a slight bit so that she was sitting on her knees.

"It's ironic, isn't it?" Rose said, "She said I was her most beloved disciple, yet I felt so worthless when I saw that message. Unlike all the other Diamonds, she knew all of her gems. I was not around her often enough to hear everything she said about you but, whenever I was, she always spoke highly of you. Always said how you would be one of the best. She knew all of us, and of our real wants and desires. The only thing I ever wanted... was a world where gems could choose their own lives, and not have to follow some predetermined fate. And in her heart, I know that is what she wanted as well. It's what she wanted for all of us... it's what she wanted for you."

Looking over her shoulder, she saw Steven and Greg sitting over by a nearby tree. Rose attempted to get up but quickly fell back down from her weak legs.

"Do me a favor, will you?" Rose asked Jasper, "Take me over to them. There's one else last thing I need to clear up. One last thing that everyone needs to see."

It's what she wanted for you.

That was a funny thought. To believe that she had been sucked in by years of lies, detoured from the truth, it seemed like it was Rose here that was the true follower of Pink Diamond and not her. It was also shameful to think such a way since she dedicated her entire life to her, but Rose did as well in that sense. It was interesting how fate worked in that sense. Still, that did sink into a more mellow spot for Jasper.

Rose then pointed out the pair that was nearby and she nodded a bit. She still was not quite grasping Rose's hand, not intending to grasp her nor hold her close, but she would honor the request. A soldier's first job was not to fight, but to help and protect other people — that was what it was all about, no matter what everyone else thought.

She wrapped her arm around Rose's thinner waist before lifting the two of them up. Jasper walked them evenly over to where Greg and Steven were standing, intending to get Rose over there as quickly as she could manage.

At first, when Steven saw her, he had been happy — then the realization of what was happening sunk in and his expression changed when he whispered, "Mom?"

Greg himself quickly became shocked at the sight, unable to speak. His hand came up to cover his mouth out of surprise. Questionably, he glanced at Jasper and all she did was shake her head with a sigh. She set Rose down on the ground in front of them, the two immediately scrambling towards her. A step back was taken.

"It's over. Her time is out."

Jasper wasted no time in getting her up and began taking her over to her family. It seemed that even with so much bad blood between them, there was till honor to be had with them.

"I've always viewed every quartz as my sister." Rose told her as they moved, "I know you don't feel the same. Regardless, I've always respected you as a soldier... a-and as a gem. If you had been in my place back then, maybe you wouldn't have made the same mistakes I did." Rose clenched her fist at her next words, "Every since I killed Pink Diamond with my own hands... I was already dead."

When they finally made it to the two, Rose was set down in front of Steven and Greg. She looked up and saw that they were both shocked and worried. Looking at her son, Rose gave him hopeful eyes.

"We all knew this would happen." Rose told him, "It seems unfair, but the time we had is irreplaceable. But before anything else happens, there's one last thing I must do."

Reaching her hand out to Steven, she pulled his shirt up slightly so that his gem was exposed. Hovering her hand over it like before, Rose concentrated and the gem began glowing once more. This time, a bubble came forth. Not just any bubble, but one that contained many shards, and they were all pink.

No one had ever seen this before, and she knew that all eyes were on her. Yet she still focused on the bubble and sat herself up while it hovered in her hands.

"Pink," Rose spoke in a strained voice, "you were right. It's not about changing everything. It's about doing our best to change what we can, respecting the will of others, and believing in your own. Isn't that what you fought for?"

Rose straightened herself out more and then began to shakily rise to her feet. It was strenuous, but she had strength enough to for what she was about to do.

"At last, I understand the meaning behind what you did." Rose said once she got to her feet, "At last... I understand... your courage."

Once she was finished speaking, Rose allowed for the sphere to float directly in front of herself. Straightening her posture out, she slowly and shakily began to lift up her arms. With her arms up, she crossed them over her chest in that familiar gem salute. Once there she held her salute and gave her the most respect that she could. The respect that she deserved.

The compliment that she was given came across as well received. On the contrary, Jasper did see each quartz soldier as her sister — she just never had the opportunity to be raised in their presence and get enveloped in their ways. At a young age, she had been isolated from her sisters and thrown to the side to work underneath Yellow Diamond. Her problem is that she had always been special and not always in the right ways.

No matter how much she had been separated though, the wound with Rose ran so deep because she was, by gem standards, her blood.

"I always respected your tactics. I found it honorable how you tried to limit casualties; Homeworld was not like that," she replied and shook her head, voice dipping lower while she turned her back to the scene, "Although I don't condone you overall, I know that I would not have handled your situation any better. My anger is too out there and you have thousands upon thousands of years up your sleeve."

However, she looked back when Rose suddenly began to summon something out of Steven's gem. Her hand hovered over the radiating gem, making the boy gasp while a storm of emotions overtook him. While he knew that his mother would disappear eventually, he also had not anticipated that today would be the day. He could only gape while the bubble was pulled out with his eyes widening at the realization of what it was.

Jasper apparently also came to the conclusion since her golden eyes managed to widen themselves, completely freezing as the bubble floated into the air with the remnant of familiar pink shards inside.

Pink Diamond.

Rose stood herself up on shaky legs and with a small voice, she firmly confirmed her final thoughts on Pink Diamond, voicing how she felt wholeheartedly while giving one last salute. Greg immediately stood up and went by her side, wrapping an arm around her waist so that she would not collapse, his brown eyes wide as he stared at the contraption and then at his wife.

Steven was also gaping, but Jasper had a very different reaction. The pink in the bubble reflected back into her golden eyes, one which had a tear tugging in it. Similar to the first day that the hologram with Pink Pearl was presented, it slipped down her reddened cheek. Stepping forward, she brought her hands up and gave a salute herself, now even with Rose.

"This gem here fought hard for you, Pink! She spilled out everything she had and I have been forced to believe that she can be given the credit for creating the dream you wanted to preserve. Invite her to your side with open arms." Jasper announced, not looking at Rose as a truth spilled past her, focusing.

That was when Steven dove forward and attached himself to her leg, looking up with a deep breath, "We love you."

Greg nodded and leaned up to kiss her cheek in a final confirmation.

"We do."

While Rose stood there and continued to salute, she felt an arm wrap around her waist. Looking down with her eyes, she saw that it was Greg, supporting her so that she could continue to stand and give respect. While it was a nice thing of him to do, it was overshadowed when Jasper stepped forward and offered a salute to the bubble, as well as putting her own words in.

Even though Jasper never looked at her, the words she spoke had conviction and honesty in them. Jasper truly felt that she deserved to go in peace, even with all the things wrong between them.

Dropping her salute, she looked down when Steven attached himself to her leg, and Greg planted a kiss on her cheek. Offering them a sad smile, she embraced them and held them for a good while.

"And I love you two as well. Don't ever forget that." She told them, kissing their heads, "It's almost time for me to go... and with it, all of those old secrets will be gone, and I can leave with a clear conscious."

Rose then turned her attention to Jasper.

"With everything finally out in the open, things can truly begin a new." She told her, "This world is all of yours to live in. Not as a soldier, or even as a gem... but as a person. We may still be enemies but, as said, even enemies can have respect for each other."

Rose extended her hand out to Jasper, hoping that she would understand the gesture. She waited there, hoping she would at least leave on this. Before the connection could be made, several loud cracks could be heard, and the fractures in her gem went deeper. In addition to causing her to fall forward, it also caused her hair to become greatly faded.

"We will never." Greg told her solemnly, assuring her one last time. There was nothing more that he could possibly ask from the woman. She had already given him everything that he ever wanted — her time and her love. Closure has been sealed between them, healing any wounds that might have been left behind. Now there was only going to be good in the trail of Rose's presence.

Once she stumbled forward, Jasper did not hesitate to take ahold of her hand, taking it as one final sign of peace between the two of them. Maybe she could not ever let go what had happened, however, that did not mean that she could not at the very least begrudgingly forgive a dying woman. That would be enough to last them for the rest of time and perhaps once death found itself within Jasper, they would be able to remember that in whatever world Rose was being sent to.

She grabbed ahold of her and then settled her on the ground, continuously clutching the hand in her own and squeezing it. Looking up, in the distance she suddenly saw Gems running forward towards them — the entire group was coming forward.

Peridot paused by the tree near them along with Lapis, one looking out of fascination and curious while the other one was silently analyzing. Eyeball and the rest of the rubies managed to pause too, not getting too close to the decaying body, while it was the closest to Rose that went forward.

"Rose!" Pearl called out, tears already stinging her eyes as she tried to keep herself together. She stumbled forward and loosely intertwined her nimble fingers against the edge of her dress, gently holding it, "We love you so, so much, oh, Rose."

"We always have." Garnet inserted herself with a nod while she approached them. Her visor was flickered off, multicolored eyes shining while she kept herself together. She knelt down on Rose's other end and touched her arm, frowning at the sight of her cracked gem, running her fingers against the skin. Her eyebrows were scrunched together in understanding at what was to come.

Amethyst with Bismuth also managed to come forward. Bismuth was wordless and remained standing, but she did give Rose one final nod to show that, despite everything, they were okay and always would be. Amethyst, on the other hand, leaped into Garnet's lap and stared down at the equivalent of her mother. Amethyst looked like she wanted to reach out and she did, fingers closing over Garnet's, the hands resting on Rose's elbow. She shook her head, giving emphasis, "Always. Like, to the ends of everything, Rosie-dozy."

Then, Greg came up from behind Pearl and looked at her. They exchanged eye contact prior to focusing on Rose, both with sad looks that also contained something that they previously didn't have before the clone came — a sense of ease.

Finally, that left Steven. Rose had kissed him and he had stared as everyone gathered around. His heart rammed in his chest until he saw something a beautiful shade of crimson in the grass. Eyes widening, he went for it before walking over to Rose. It seemed somewhat final for him to be giving his input, the true last goodbye. He went behind her head, Jasper shifting to make room for him as he kneeled down. An actual thornless Rose was slipped into the fading hair and he leaned forward and pressed a kiss to her forehead.

Sadly and in completion, he sincerely whispered, "See you later, mom."

When Rose fell forward, she was immediately caught by the hand that she extended out. Jasper had not stopped for a second to grab her, and Rose was very grateful for it. As she was lowered down to the ground, she whispered to Jasper.

"Take care of her." Rose said, referring to the bubble, "You are no one's tool any longer. Live for yourself... and find a new lease on life."

Once she was on the ground, Rose heard the voices and saw the movements of everyone there. Many came close, and other kept their distance. Words of love were spoken, and gentle hands were placed upon. Looking up, she returned the nod that Bismuth had given her, showing that everything was alright.

"You all mean the world to me." Rose spoke in earnest, "I could never ask for better friends and family, and can only hope that you continue with your lives... and make yourselves and others so much better. Remember me as I was. Speak of all my deeds, both good and bad... and let me be judged accordingly. And know that I will always see all of you... as the greatest that has ever been."

It was then that Steven came forward, something in his hand. The crimson hue and shape were unmistakable. Wordlessly, the rose was slipped into her now faded hair, and his final words were spoken after a kiss was planted on her forehead. The words carried more weight than could ever be known.

Time had proven Steven wise. There were no goodbyes... not really. With a truly genuine smile, Rose looked to her son and two tears fell down her face. She could only hope that one day, they may see each other when the time was right.

"This is good... Isn't it?"

The question was not meant to be answered. With her last words, Rose Quartz shut her eyes for the last time. Several more cracks were heard, and the gem finally shattered. With it, all that was left behind was the fragments remains of the gem and the rose that fell with it.

Tears were shed as Rose's final words rung out in the field. Somehow, this seemed appropriate, a more fitting death for Rose Quartz. Surrounded in a field of flowers, both by longtime family members and foes turned friends, allowing for herself to feel some peace after such a long time. Lavished with loving words of goodbye, she gave her own, bittersweetly ending with a question that now they would have to answer; a final puzzle from Rose that now they would have to put together as a whole.

And then, with a flash of shimmering light and a grand crack, Rose ceased to exist any further. Her form faded away with the wind and the broken pieces of her gem fell to the ground. The rose that Steven had put ever so gently into her hair fell down on the biggest remnant with the grace of a butterfly.

Silence flooded through all of them, an acceptance spreading throughout the Crystal Gems. The one to speak up softly with a sniffle was Pearl, who reminisced on the scene as she looked down at the fragments, "She always did know what to say."

Murmurs of agreement swept through everyone. Amethyst and Garnet then leaned forward towards Pearl and they all collapsed together into a tight, comforting embrace. Even Greg came in and they gladly took him, allowing for him to be there. All of them had loved Rose with their entire beings and even though they needed a moment now, they would keep moving and continue improving for her.

Bismuth was the one who gently patted Steven's head to offer him a sense of comfort. Coming out from the shadows of the tree, Peridot came out as well, resting her nimble hand on his forearm. Even she recognized the significance of what had happened and the meaningful message behind it. Lapis followed, wishing to be there for Steven.

On the other hand, Jasper continued to gaze towards the shards with something tight in her chest expelling — relief. Relief at the fact that she had chosen to let go of the grudge that had shaken her, allowing for Rose to go without any regrets. It was as though ever so slightly, the gaping wound on her heart had been sealed shut tighter, harder to break now. That feeling only continued when the bubble in the air flew down to her. Realizing what Rose had truly meant, she released an odd sound from her throat, tears slipping down her cheeks. She opened her arms up, causing for the bubble that had Pink Diamond in it to press against her chest.

Half of the bubble turned tangerine, signifying the change in ownership, however, the other part remained that peach pink. It did not do that on its own, Jasper willing it to, knowing that after what Rose had just done for her, she could preserve both of the memories in that way.

Once again, that left Steven alone. He stepped forward and looked down at the rose quartz gem. A quiet, shaky breath was inhaled before he found himself kneeling down. His hands reached out and hovered over the remainder of the shards, a bubble slowly forming around them. For a moment, he brought it close to him and cradled it, staying seated by the rose that still laid on the ground. He looked up at the sky, sure that in the night his mother would be resting upon the multitude of stars.

"Watch us, mom," he whispered, confidence filling his tone along with deep pride, "We're going to make you prouder than ever before."

With that resolve, his hand tapped the bubble and whisked it away to where it belonged.

Home.

Once the form of Rose Quartz had disappeared, the Ruby's had all gave looks of sympathy and wonder. After everything that had happened, and everything they were sent to do, the gem that was considered the number one enemy of homeworld was allowed to pass in peace. While it was strange, all of them silently agreed that it was for the best. Especially after everything that had happened over the past few days.

The five of them slowly approached the group, Eyeball leading them. They came to Jasper, who was now holding a dual colored bubble with several large shards in it.

"That's her, isn't it?" Eyeball asked Jasper, her words low and respectful.

Garnet had stayed with Pearl, Amethyst, and Greg in that embrace for some time, simply offering her support where it was needed. Glancing up with her uncovered eyes, she saw Steven approach the gems shards, and bubble them away with great care.

Getting up from her position, she allowed for the rest to continue comforting each other, and she made her way over to Steven. Just as she got to him, she heard his words and watched the bubble be whisked away.

While they all had closure and knew that they would continue to improve for Rose, Garnet knew that one more thing needed to be taken care of for Steven.

"When we found out about you coming into this world, we weren't sure what to do." She spoke, kneeling down to his level, "It was so different for all of us, so new and scary. We weren't sure what would become of you... but your mother never doubted you. She always said you would become the greatest of them all. And she was right."

Picking up the now abandon flower, she tucked it into Steven's hair in the same fashion that he did for her. She then placed her hands on his shoulders and looked him dead in his eyes.

"You have the heart of a human and the soul of a gem. If anyone can bring our worlds together, it's you. That is who you are Steven."

Everything was falling into place. The dramatic and touching moment had passed, fading into what was now going to be the present and the future. Looking to the side, he saw Jasper curled up with a bubble of shards tucked into her chest. The rubies came over and approached her. Steven only subtly smiled to himself in understanding. He knew that Jasper wouldn't turn away their comfort.

Meanwhile, Lapis and Peridot both came close to him with the two of them occasionally glancing back at where Jasper was. He looked at the two of them before seeing Garnet stand from her group hug between Amethyst and Pearl. Steven looked at the two and told them, "You guys can go on... You too, Bis."

After some hesitance, Peridot did step back at the sight of Garnet and scurried away to where Jasper was, Lapis following in unison. Bismuth, on the other hand, saw Amethyst and Pearl, the latter cradling the smaller body to her chest. She walked to them with a murmur before sweeping them up against her chest, resulting in more light sniffles from Pearl and an "Easy, Bis," from Amethyst.

Steven looked at Garnet when she knelt in front of him. Her eyes gazed at him as her fingers clasped down on his shoulders. A deep breath was inhaled as he carefully listened to her.

Strong as ever, Garnet had taught him a lot about life. Out of the main three Crystal Gems, he considered her to be the most similar to his mother during the absence of Rose in his lifetime. If there was one concept that he learned though it was that the future could be incredibly unpredictable — it was going to be up to them to see what would happen now.

The hands slipped off of his shoulders in favor of taking up the Rose and placing it in his hair. Steven blinked at this before his chubby fingers came up to brush against it. Finally, a gentle and genuine smile teased his lips. While he felt remorse, he also felt a new beginning from the death of his mother. This time, it would go how she would have wanted for it to go.

"I know," Steven replied and move forward in order to embrace the fusion, pressing his face near her own, looking into her eyes with renewed confidence, "I know, thanks to all of you. We will change the world, bit by bit, together. That's what being a Crystal Gem is all about."

When Garnet felt him rest his face close to her own, it caused her to smile in both happiness and relief. While Steven was very resilient, he also had a tendency to be very hard on himself. A trait undoubtedly carried on by Rose. But he seemed to have let everything settle well, and was looking on with hope and confidence.

"There's no doubt about that." She answered him, "While things may not always go the best, we'll always come out on top in the end. Because we never give up."

Giving Steven a quick hug, Garnet held her smile as she stood up, her shades appearing on her face once more. Looking over everyone else, she saw that everyone was doing their best with everything going on. Noticing Jasper first, she decided to talk with her and the Ruby's. As she got closer, she saw what was in Jasper's hands.

"I don't know what happened, but I do know this." Garnet said to Jasper, "If she trusted you enough with that then I know it's in good hands. She never did anything without reason, so I think she truly felt you deserved it."

After giving Jasper a nod, she went to Greg, who was likely taking this the hardest, and placed her hand on his shoulder.

"I know it must have been difficult to have to face something like that again." She spoke in a comforting tone, "I know it was for us. But also know that we are here in case you need us for anything. At the very least, everything has been cleared up, and there are no more loose ends."

Another sure nod erupted from Steven at Garnet's words, melting into the embrace that she gave him. It was a sweet moment and he could feel himself start to settle down his nerves and varying feelings thanks to it. A sigh left him as she moved back and he looked up at the sky with bright brown eyes.

"I know." Steven repeated again, a lot more softly this time as Garnet walked away from him.

She made her way to Jasper first, who was still cradling the bubble against her chest. Jasper glanced up at Garnet — who she was now long friends with, sparking a friendly rivalry at times — unashamed of the tears that had managed to slip down her cheeks. A nod was given and she returned her attention to the bubble, which she was now holding in one hand since the rubies along with Lapis and Peridot had made their way to her lap or were leaning onto her inhumanly large body. Wordlessly and with one last long look, she tapped the bubble and allowed for it to disappear in a flash of light. She would allow for herself to have some time with it later. For now, she turned her body into the embraces of the ones she called her friends.

Finally, Greg was reached as well. He was now standing up, holding Pearl by the waist with Amethyst at his leg. His brown eyes connected with Garnet's own. Underneath his eyes, there were red streaks from crying, unable to suppress the emotions he felt at seeing his wife pass. However, he also felt pride swell in his chest. It had been beautiful, the type of peaceful death that she had deserved in the first place.

"It's alright, really. I think that... This was the way that it was supposed to end." Greg told her and forced for a shake of his head to come up, gathering himself together. Pearl nodded in agreement, finally seeming to simmer down as well, wiping away a few stray tears from her cheeks.

Little ways away, Steven stood in the grass, the rose still evident behind his ear. He was staring up at the sky, where a beautiful, symbolic sunset was stretching out above them, as though it wanted to tell them that everything would be okay. His hand closed over his heart and he subtly smiled, closure finally settling through him.

"Me too." He whispered.

[goldeneyedgirl]

Part 2 of MCU/Twilight verse

“That MCU crossover I’m writing that actually hasn’t mentioned the MCU at all yet.”

Alt 7: Found Family 

Rating: T for swearing

Words: 2,551

Summary: Twilight X MCU crossover. The Snap doesn’t just kill humans. What happens next?

Notes: Is this even Whump-y enough to count to Whumptober? I don’t know, everyone’s grieving. I made myself watch Endgame again and I found something useful. I know it probably feels like I wiped out a lot of characters, but there’s method to my madness. I’m desperately resisting the urge to make some obvious corrections to the MCU, and I’m pretty sure the last two chapters are going to be needlessly self-indulgent. And yes, I need a title. 

Part One here

two. survivors

What happens next?

It’s a good question, and one Alice used to be able to answer. Her predictions have… well, they haven’t stopped, but there are less. Maybe she’s not saying everything but he doesn’t press.

They stay in Forks. It’s the easiest option, really. They have resources at the Forks house - all of Jasper’s computers, Rose’s cars, Carlisle’s medication stash. And for, now, it makes sense to keep up the masquerade - the orphaned Cullen kids, in that big old house.

And Seth Clearwater. Neither of them have made more than polite inquiries about the Quileute reservation, because what can they do, really? They weren’t allowed on the land, and nothing they offer will be accepted. Seth doesn’t want to talk about it either, so they just… don’t. Not yet.

The first announcements and news reports are hard to listen to - half of all living creatures. Humans, animals, plants, sea-life… just gone. Then there are the people who survived, but died in the aftermath; the patients in surgery with the dust of their surgeons sinking into their chest cavity, the passengers on an airplane, the school bus with no driver. The news plays on, listing losses and catastrophes until he loudly asks if Seth wants to play Xbox instead.

Alice goes with them, and sits crosslegged on a recliner, watching them.

“Carlisle would have liked that,” she says suddenly, when Emmett realises the error in picking a war game - should have opted for a racing game instead.

“Liked what?” he asks, as he gets up to change the disc. Seth doesn’t say anything, playing with the recliner buttons instead.

“‘Half of all living creatures’,” she quotes. She’s been wearing one of Jasper’s t-shirts under her cardigan, and the scent of his brother is fading the longer she wears it. “Carlisle would have appreciated that. That the universe thought we were living creatures. Might have convinced Edward that we weren’t total monsters, either.”

Seth looks up at her, confused. “Why wouldn’t you be living creatures?” he asks, concentrating at the recliner tips him right back.

“We don’t breathe or age or change,” Alice says, a smirk playing around her face as Seth yelps when the entire chair begins to tip, but luckily it doesn’t fall.

“But you eat,” Seth accepts the controller Emmett passes him. “And you’ve got families. That means you still count.”

“I wish we didn’t.” Emmett doesn’t realise he’s said those words aloud until he realises Seth and Alice are both staring at him. He wants to explain that if they didn’t count, then there wouldn’t be five vases lined up on the mantel (three empty) full of dust. That he wouldn’t be sitting here playing Xbox with Seth Clearwater, and Alice wouldn’t be wearing leggings and her husband’s t-shirt, looking brittle and tired. That he wouldn’t go into their room every night, and bury his face in Rose’s clothes to keep himself from going insane.

But he doesn’t need to. They both understand - Alice sits with Seth when the boy sniffles and tries to hide it; Emmett hears Alice padding around Jasper’s office, having a conversation with thin air, questions asked to silence. If there was some loophole they could grab with both hands and exploit, he knows he and Alice and Seth would take it, humanity and life and all those upright and moral things be damned.

“Just what everyone needs,” Alice muses, leaning back and stretching like a cat. “A world where humans and animals were cut in half but the vampires weren’t.”

And she’s right. That would be a mess. The fucking end of times.

“That would be a cool movie,” Seth says absently, focused on the screen and forcing Emmett’s car off the road and into a ravine.

Alice watches them play for awhile before getting up. A few minutes later, there’s a knock at the door and low voices. Charlie Swan, with Carlisle’s phone.  Emmett lets Seth win a second race, focused on the conversation Alice is having - why it took Charlie so damn long to bring the phone, how they’re holding up; his irritation at the delay it took to get Carlisle’s phone is tempered when he hears the genuine concern Charlie has for Alice. He doesn’t know much about Bella’s father, but he seems like a good guy.

Not that Alice needs to act the part - she looks broken. Most of the time he feels like he’s seeing a part of her that he shouldn’t be seeing, that the loss and grief that becomes her is somehow shameful to witness; it’d be less awkward to see her naked than to see her twisting Jasper’s t-shirt in her hands with that glassy look of hopelessness she tries to hide.

Alice feels the same about him; that Emmett without Rose is devoid of that joie de vivre, that endless good humour, the extra joke. He feels tired in his bones, deflated, and distracted with the space in his chest that Rose used to fill. He feels like an old man, when he was never finished being a young man, never made it to middle-age.

But they are trying. Especially with Seth in the house - he’s taken over the bedroom that Esme planned to give to Bella, mostly because it didn’t stink of vampires as much as any other room; and neither of them wanted to dismantle Esme’s studio or Carlisle’s office. It wasn’t really much - a mattress and boxspring, a dresser and desk. Alice had given him a laptop to use, and found some new bedding for him, and occasionally even remembered that a fourteen year old boy shouldn’t be eating pizza six nights a week, and probably needed more boundaries than they were giving him. But Alice isn’t maternal, and her attempts at forcing vegetables and a bedtime on Seth usually get forgotten within a day or two.

Charlie Swan leaves, and he listens as Alice puts Carlisle’s phone into his vase, and then he focuses on the game so that Seth doesn’t think he’s letting him win because of pity or anything.

—

It’s not until late summer than people start bothering them. Parents of classmates who suddenly don’t have any children of their own to worry over. Colleagues and acquaintances who feel some kind of lingering responsibility. Busy-bodies, usually a part of some self-aggrandising self-appointed community group butting into everyone’s grief.

Alice ignores the early attempts to interfere, to crack open both the metaphorical and literal door for anyone who isn’t Charlie Swan. She’s taken to doing the oddest tasks, but Emmett doesn’t ask. At the moment, she’s painting every single door in the house with a swirling pattern of flowers that is tiny and detailed and fills up the day. Esme would have a conniption if she saw her lovely doors like this (he remembers when Alice and Jasper first arrived, and her art projects ran afoul of Esme - she had apologised and channeled that manic energy into embroidery instead; there’s a pair of unspeakably ugly curtains hanging in the Vermont house from one panicked week when Jasper went off with Peter and Charlotte).

Then the harassment starts - both her and him, since he’s apparently considered her ‘guardian’. Alice hangs up the phone numerous times wordlessly before being so outstandingly rude to Mrs Newton that both he and Seth stare at her before Emmett remembers he’s actually supposed to be in charge - as far as the rest of the town knows, at least - and calls to deter any more visits or phone calls or casseroles because Alice isn’t well and the disruptions are upsetting her.

If Carlisle or Esme were here, they’d think to send Mrs Newton flowers or something as an apology, but they aren’t, and no one can get Alice to apologise when she doesn’t want to, and Seth confided in him that she’s crying when he’s hiding in the garage and Seth is totally at a loss over what to do about a crying girl that isn’t Leah, so maybe they’ll just leave it at that. Give the town something new to gossip about.

But it does spark sudden realisation in both Cullens about a topic that has been long forgotten - school. Alice and Emmett have both graduated, but Seth had not. Seth had another four glorious years in high school, even if the Res school is down to double digits of enrolments, and probably won’t even run every weekday.

Seth whines and begs and negotiates until Alice stamps her foot and demands to know what Sue Clearwater would say and that makes Seth all small and miserable, and Alice hates herself and Emmett solves the problem by making a large donation through one of their anonymous charities to the Res school so that Seth can at least do online learning, and apparently that’s a huge deal that is on the local news, and that makes Alice and Seth laugh because only Emmett would stop a teenage boy’s whining by revolutionising a tribe’s educational provisions with a cheque large enough to sustain a small city for a year.

But it’s good help - it means the children who suddenly have no parents and have to raise siblings can still study; it means that half-empty classrooms don’t necessarily mean half-empty classes; it also means that other tribes with larger losses and no way of schooling are invited to join them.

That’s one good thing they’ve managed.

He also fixed the backdoor as good as new, so it should be two, but he’s pretty sure that doesn’t count now that Alice has painted flowers blooming and dying all over it.

At some point they both bully Seth into going home again, to get his own stuff - clothes and bedding and photos and all those things you look for when you’re in a house that isn’t yours. He yells at them, they yell at him, and he storms off. But now there’s a photo of him with his parents and sister on his dresser, and a bunch of books crowding his desk, and the world’s most beat-up DS under his pillow. There are more photos, somewhere - Emmett knows that because Alice knows where they are and then one day there are two framed photos joining the vases on the mantle - one of Sue and Harry Clearwater on their wedding day, and one of Leah laughing. Neither of them knows what happened to Sue or Leah precisely on that day, but Seth doesn’t bring the ashes with him, so they don’t ask.

Summer folds into fall, and what’s left of Esme’s gardens wither up. Charlie Swan checks on them every few weeks, sounding tired. There’s a lot of work for him right now - mostly community and social issues, like scared and orphaned children hiding, people struggling with money, grief, religion. There’s been some shortages of food, since there’s less being grown, less people to process and package and ship it, and a little town hours outside of Seattle is not a priority to whomever is deciding where to send a milk delivery.

They order Seth’s food from high-end places online that deliver them quickly and quietly; Alice starts choosing long-life and bulk items, and no one needs to ask because it’s obvious things will get worse before they get better. Seth holds a pretty intense grudge against the powdered strawberry milk, though.

But food shortages are the least of their worries, as Alice uses the dining room wall to start taking nonsensical notes, and Emmett’s heard enough stories to know that losing a mate can be… well, he’s not having much fun, but the very last thing he needs is to wrangle Alice if she’s lost her mind. Dead or not, he knows he could never lay a hand on her even if she did go nuts out of love for his family, out of respect for Jasper, and out of this funny bond they’ve somehow formed, being the last ones left.

The notes turn into lists, lists of everyone they’ve ever known, in her swirling handwriting. Even people they know are gone, like Bella, goes on the list.

Then she starts striking out names, like she’s slashing with a knife - Carlisle, Esme, Jasper, Rosalie, Edward, Bella, Charlie, Sue, Leah, Sam, Jacob, Paul… Slash, slash, slash.

Then it starts getting interesting. Peter and Charlotte are gone, but so are half the goddamned Volturi (Alice smirks as she crosses out Caius, Jane, Alec, Dimitri because imagining Aro on his throne with grief-mad Marcus and only the minions is a pretty picture indeed). Carmen and Tanya have survived, but Kate, Irina, and Eleazer are gone. Garrett is alive, but Randall and Mary aren’t. J Jenks didn’t make it either, which makes things… difficult.

Alice scowls darkly as she scratches out Maria’s name, and Emmett wonders if it’s because she didn’t get to do the honours of destroying the Mexican harpy herself. Or because wherever Jasper is now, so is Maria, and Alice is left behind.

Finally, she is done, and the list is nearly balanced in living and dead. Alice’s left eye twitches, and whatever she’s thinking she doesn’t say as she stands up.

“Alaska and then Mexico, then,” she says to him, and he gives her the Look that he gives her and Edward and Jasper every time one of them forgets that not everyone has a gift and some of them have to use their words.

“We need to check on Carmen and Tanya; I think they need us,” Alice explains, still examining the list. “I saw that we need to go. And then we’re going down to Mexico.”

“Maria’s dead,” he gestures at her list, and Seth wanders in stuffing his face with Pringles, and turns white at the sight of Esme’s freshly defaced walls; evidently Motherly Wrath is something universal across all of the species.

“Maria’s dead, and left behind a bunch of fresh newborns,” Alice sounds tired. “There’s no one left for clean up, Em, no one who knows. And it will be bad if we don’t step in soon.”

There might be something cathartic in that for Alice, undoing Maria’s life’s work. Maria’s lands weren’t exactly in the wealthiest or most populated lands these days - Jasper kept a secret map that wasn’t at all a secret - and if going down there and taking off a few heads saves a mother or father or child, then maybe it’s worth the hassle.

“Fine. Alaska and Mexico,” he agrees, and Seth cheers.

“Road-trip!” he declares around a mouthful of chips. Alice rolls her eyes.

“I’ll make you up a passport,” she says, not even bothering to argue with the younger boy that he’ll be joining them. “We’ll take the Jeep, Em - Rose just finished it.”

The words hang in the air for a second, and he nods in agreement. There might be something in that, taking the last gift-gesture-offering Rose ever did for him on their End-of-the-World Road Trip. Alice can rip the heads off newborns, he can drive around in the SUV his wife carefully and lovingly put together just to please him, and maybe he’ll buy Seth a beer in Tijuana.

Closest thing they’ll ever get to therapy, he supposes.