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Carmen and Eleazar sit across from each other at the coffee table, casually enjoying a game of chess. Next to them, a less complicated but more intense game is being played as Phoebe and Garrett study the checkerboard laid in front of them. Neither had made a move in what felt like hours, remaining motionless for so long that the first couple is already on their third game of chess.
Tanya had left ages ago to greet the Cullens at the Canadian border. Kate had originally planned to go with her, but instead found herself fascinated - not by the thoughtless game of checkers, but by the stakes. For it is a well known fact in the Denali household that Garrett and Phoebe can't do anything without making it a competition, the two had agreed that the loser of their little game would have to face the full-blown wrath of Kate's electrifying power.
"King me," Phoebe declares, finally deciding to put one of her other pieces at risk of being jumped in order to obtain the title.
"Damn," Garrett huffs, obliging nonetheless. Jumping her defenseless checker, his smile returns. "Beat that, brat."
"Only if your feelings can handle it, Boomer."
He gasps, affronted by her comment. Before he can begin the usual speech about how he is older than any baby boomer and, by default, better, she double jumps and takes out two of his checkers.
"You're cheating!" He shouts, his voice not too dissimilar from that of a whiny five year old.
"You can't cheat if you're single," Phoebe argues, sticking her tongue out childishly.
"She makes a fair point," Eleazar agrees, earning a swift punch to the arm that would have sent him flying across the room had he not braced himself.
"I'm on Garrett's side," Carmen disagrees - whether it's to spite her mate or because that's what she truly believes, Garrett doesn't care.
"Kate?" Phoebe asks, glancing up at the woman pleadingly as the group waits for her to cast her vote.
"I agree with Phoebe," Kate breaks the tie, grinning wickedly. "She can't possibly be cheating on anyone if she's single."
Garret's cry of rage doesn't get the chance to leave his lips as the sound of tires practically flying up their driveway captures everyone's attention. Almost every head snaps in the direction of the large windows and Garrett uses the moment to his advantage by knocking the board and all of the checkers off the table.
"Oh no," he announces dryly, failing to hide his amusement. "The game is ruined."
"That's alright," Kate reassures him as the five of them climb to their feet. "Neither of you moved for so long that I have the checker placement memorized."
"But alas, the initial vibe and intensity is destroyed," he insists. "We must start over."
Phoebe can't find it within herself to fight Garrett over the issue, far too excited to see her old friends and make new ones.
Two expensive-looking cars and a beat up red truck come speeding to a stop behind Tanya's sleek vehicle, as though they had been racing each other. The newcomers are quick to pile out ofthe cars they've been cooped up in for hours and all but two of them chase each other to the house. Phoebe is able to identify one as Emmett as he grabs several suitcases from the back of the truck, but can't quite pinpoint who the vampire next to him is, his face and hair hidden from view by a baseball cap.
Before she can dwell on it for too long, Phoebe is distracted by the sound of her name being excitedly shouted from several mouths.
Alice, Rosalie, and Esme immediately engulf the girl in a hug and even Carlisle places an affectionate kiss on her forehead before introducing her to Bella and Renesmee. She does her best not to gawk at the six year old child that appears as though she's sixteen, causing Edward to laugh. Her head snaps in his direction and he briefly releases Bella's hand to hold out his arms, expecting a hug as well.
"Absolutely not," Phoebe snaps, crossing her arms. "You didn't invite me to your wedding!"
Another chuckle almost leaves his lips before he realizes she's not joking.
"I'm sorry," he apologizes, glancing over to Alice before continuing. "But to make up for that, we brought you something better than a wedding invitation."
"We did?" Bella questions, just as confused as Phoebe.
"We did," Alice confirms. "It's outside, if you want to go find it."
Phoebe doesn't need to be told twice, practically skipping as she hurries out the front door. She nearly runs into Emmett, who has suitcases piled so high in his arms that he can't see over them.
"Two trips are for the weak, Jazz," he says over his shoulder.
"Not all of us have tree trunks for arms, asshole," the boy dubbed Jazz snarks in response, and the familiarity of his voice causes Phoebe's breath to hitch.
The top half of his body is in the bed of Bella's truck, reaching for the bags his brother left behind. Not wanting to get her own hopes up, she focuses instead on Emmett.
"You know what else is weak?" She jokes, causing both boys to freeze. "Needing help. Carry all of the bags by yourself, pussy."
"PHOEBE!" Emmett shouts happily, dropping the luggage to pull her into a bear hug that would have cracked an ordinary person's ribs. "I didn't think I'd see you again after your second attempt to visit La Push."
"Luckily, Sam wasn't around that time," she laughs, rolling up the sleeve of her sweater to reveal a scar resembling that of a large scratch she didn't have the last time she encountered the Cullens. "I kicked the ass of some furry with anger issues instead."
"You beat up Paul?" He asks, almost reverently as he admires the scar. "Awesome. Come look at this, Jasper. Why aren't any of your scars this cool?"
Jasper doesn't answer, nor does he move, causing Phoebe to finally glance over at him. Emmett speaks again, but it sounds muffled as he and the rest of the world slip away from her focus.
It's impossible. The soldier she fell in love with, who gave her his family heirloom and begged another man to keep her safe, can not be standing only a few feet away. She was told he died for being discovered as a Union spy.
She forgets how to breathe, let alone stand, but he's there to wrap her in his arms and they fall to the snow covered ground together. Phoebe can't cry but she's babbling incoherently as he holds her fiercely to his chest, neither wanting to let go out of fear that the other would disappear.
Jasper can't think clearly to calm her down because all he can focus on is that she's there and alive and in his arms. After one hundred and fifty years apart, Jasper has the love of his life back and he doesn't plan on ever losing her again.
