Title: Running For Their Lives

Summary: All Bella wants is to make her boy proud. He's a little warrior and she's desperate to give something back to the people who saved him. But when she almost doesn't make it to the finish line, a stranger's kindness shows her that sometimes it's okay to need help. After all, they're not here for fun. They're running to save people's futures. They're running for their lives.

Pairing: Emmett x Bella

Rating: M

Word count: 9782

Running For Their Lives

All Bella wants is to make her boy proud. He's a little warrior

and she's desperate to give something back to

those who saved him. But when she almost doesn't make it

to the finish line, a stranger's kindness shows her that sometimes

it's okay to need help. After all, they're not here for fun. They're

running to save people's futures. They're running for their lives.

~ oOo ~

DISCLAIMER: Twilight and its inclusive material is copyright to Stephenie Meyer. Original creation, including but not limited to plot and characters, is copyright to the respective authors of each story. No copyright infringement is intended.

~ oOo ~

Bella

On reflection, deciding to go ahead with a forty-four-kilometer run shortly after getting out of a plaster cast was almost definitely a poor choice. Breaking an ankle hadn't been on the agenda, but it had happened nonetheless, so Bella had powered through everything her physio requested of her, completing her rehab program just over a month ago. She'd been training carefully ever since, even though a voice in the back of her mind had been yelling how much of a bad idea this was.

As she adjusted the peak of her cap and tacked her race number to her bib after collecting it from the officials, Bella sucked in a deep breath and reminded herself of who she was doing this for, why she was doing this.

Bella wanted to make her boy proud, and she wanted to give something back to the angels who'd saved his life, and also helped save her from having to live with a broken heart. Dropping out wasn't an option.

The sun was shining on day one of the London 2 Brighton Challenge, the sky a beautiful cornflower blue, while a gentle breeze played with the end of her ponytail as she was herded along with the other racers. She'd opted not to start in London and take part in the 100k, instead beginning her marathon at Tulleys Farm. The runners there would take a winding route toward Brighton across the South Downs along the south coast of England, hopefully finishing with a stunning view over the English Channel as the sun set.

They'd be setting off in staggered groups; Bella was in the second of four. Everyone around her was abuzz with excitement and anticipation as the first group set off. People of varied ages and abilities bolstered each other as they did their stretches and warmed up, laughter and cheering from the spectators making Bella smile even as she hesitantly flexed her foot.

As promised, Bella pulled out her phone and hit the Facetime icon before calling her parents. A few seconds passed before the call connected and her favourite face in the world filled the screen.

"Mummy! Are you there? Are you about to go?"

"Yeah, baby," Bella smiled, her heart full to bursting at the sight of her six-year-old. He was so close to the screen, she could see the fine dusting of hair over his head.

It's finally growing back.

"Are you being good for Nanny and Grandad?"

"Yup." His bright blue eyes showed his frustration – he didn't want to talk about himself. "Have you done your stretches? Don't forget to focus on your ankle—"

Laughing, Bella promised she'd do all of her stretches – especially the ones aimed at her weak ankle. "There are so many people here, H. There's even a bunch of people dressed as Marvel characters."

Harry's eyes lit up. "Even Deadpool?"

"Even Deadpool," Bella confirmed. "I'll try and get a picture, okay?"

"'Kay, Mummy."

Someone off-camera – either Renee or Charlie, Bella's mum and dad – started whispering to Harry, so Bella took a moment to internally squeal at how adorable her son's voice was when he called her 'Mummy.' Having grown up in Florida from the age of two to eighteen, Bella still found the English variations on regular words hard to grasp. Harry, however, had only ever known her as 'Mummy,' and his grandparents as the more British titles of 'Nanny' and 'Grandad.' The first year of infants school had robbed her of the title of 'Mummy' and replaced it with 'Mum' — except when Harry was sick, over-excited, or wanted something.

"I've got to go now, baby, but I'll call you when I'm nearly at the finish line, okay?"

Harry returned to the screen, his face still too close to the screen for her to see Renee, even though Bella could hear her. "'Kay, Mum. Good luck, not that you need it. You're gonna be so fast."

Bella was thinking I doubt it very much, but she promised Harry she'd run as fast as she could before blowing kisses to him and agreeing to do a quick live feed on Facebook before she set off, so he could see what she was seeing. Bella knew it had to be gutting him that he wasn't able to come and watch her run, as they originally planned, but an infection had knocked him off his feet and he barely had the energy to get out of bed, let alone stand around in Brighton all day waiting for her to finish.

As promised, she quickly pulled out her phone to show Harry the craziness of the starting line, holding it as high above her head as possible to try and get the best view. She ended it with a quick shot of her face so she could blow him one last kiss. With that out of the way, Bella set about finding a small space to stretch her legs. At the same time, one of the officials used a megaphone to announce that their group would be setting off in ten minutes.

Just as she finished a set of lunges, Bella heard a familiar voice before an equally familiar set of long, tanned arms hoisted her off her feet.

"Jake!" she squealed, her cheeks flaming crimson because she could feel the stares of the other runners around them.

Jake had no such qualms, his grin a mile wide. "Hey, little Bella. We saw you were 'live' and figured we'd come say 'hi' before we set off." He set her back on her feet, nodding toward his buddy. Bella recognized him as a personal trainer at the gym Jake owned, which was where she'd met him several years back. "Sam, right? Hi."

Sam offered her a grin and a two-finger salute; his dark eyes crinkled with his smile.

Turning back to Jake, Bella asked, "So, you're running? Why didn't you tell me?"

"Honestly? We weren't sure we'd make it. Today's Nessa's due date, so…"

"Oh, of course!" Bella had forgotten. Jake's sister Nessa was heavily pregnant with her first child — a daughter — and all alone thanks to her husband being away at sea on a fishing trip for the next week. She wouldn't have blamed Nessa for asking Jake not to run considering they lived in Eastbourne, which was a little under an hour away by car on a good day. With the marathon, traffic heading that way would be abysmal. If she went into labor mid-marathon there was no guarantee Jake would be able to get there quickly.

"Nessa's next-door neighbour is watching out for her just in case. But, enough about me. How's that ankle of yours?" Gone was the friend, for a moment; in his place a concerned physiotherapist. "Are you sure you're fit?"

Rolling her ankle, Bella nodded. "I've been training. I've got no pain, and it's been holding up well." Smothering a bolt of frustration at his protectiveness, Bella smirked. "If it gets too much, I'll slow down, okay? I'm not here to break world records."

"All right. Hey, let's get a selfie for the guys back home. I can call those assholes out on being too pussy to run and point out that even my little Bella did it. Use your phone; it's got a better camera."

Laughing, Bella fished out her phone, snatching it out of Jake's hands when he couldn't hold it properly to get a decent photo of all three of them.

"Give it here," she snarked. "You'd think you'd be able to at least get all our heads in with those gangly monkey arms."

Spotting a guy nearby who didn't appear to be involved in conversation, she quickly tapped him on the shoulder. "Excuse me, could you please…take a picture…uh…"

Well, hell…

The man was a mountain, for lack of a better word. He was currently mid-side lunge, but his full height became abundantly clear as he straightened up and turned to face her. Easily a foot taller than Bella, he had a short crop of high and tight dark blond hair, sharp features, and a neatly trimmed beard just begging to have fingers running through it.

None of it compared to his eyes. Nothing came close to the stunning grey gaze staring back at her when he cocked his head slightly, raising an eyebrow.

"I, uh…ummm…"

"Sorry, man, she's a bit nervous," Sam supplied before Bella could bumble any longer. He shot her a sly wink as he took the phone from her hand and held it out to the other guy. "Please, could you take a quick picture of us?"

"Sure." Man-Mountain smirked and took Bella's phone to snap a photo of Bella sandwiched between Sam and Jake. She saw the flash go off, but her lips were slightly open, her eyes glued to the steely greys of this gorgeous stranger as he pointed and snapped a few pictures, his lips curling up on one side and flashing a dimple when he caught her staring.

Damn it, he's delicious.

"Thanks, dude." Jake took the phone back, and Bella still hadn't said a word when the guy nodded, shot her one last lingering look, then headed off into the crowd. "They're pretty good. Send them to me?"

Finally regaining her ability to think and speak, Bella cleared her throat and shook off the fog of attraction that had descended over her. "Yeah—yes. I'll send them."

Appeased, Jake made her promise to call if she needed him, wished her luck, then headed off to find the rest of his friends with Sam – but only once Bella had assured them she was happier running alone, at her own pace. She had headphones and a game plan.

Only a few minutes later, the marshals were corralling everyone closer to the start line. Bella shoved in her earbuds and queued up her playlist, jogging slowly on the spot as she sucked in a few long breaths to prepare herself.

You can do this, Bella. You can do this.

Harry's sweet, hopeful face filled her mind as she waited with the restless crowd. The faces and voices of the nurses at the hospital where Harry had been treated drifted behind her closed eyelids. She'd pledged her sponsorship money to them. She'd promised this wouldn't beat her.

If Harry could beat leukemia, she could beat this. And he had; twice in his short six years.

The starting gun cracked, and they were off.

Let's do this.

~ oOo ~

Two hours and 16 kilometers in…

Everything was starting to ache.

Bella's lungs, her legs, her ankle...they were all protesting the punishing pace she'd set herself. A third of the way through her target time of six hours, Bella was a little ahead of the distance she'd expected to be reaching at this point in the race.

The seductive beat of Calum Scott's latest album powered Bella on – through fields, over hills, and past the point of wanting to give up. Every muscle told her to quit or slow down at the very least.

She turned up her music and moved faster.

~ oOo ~

Four hours and 35 kilometers in…

"Fuck," Bella whined, trying to put the least amount of pressure possible on her weak ankle. Her too-fast pace was kicking her in the ass now; she still had nine kilometers to go and she was fast running out of the ability to stifle her whimpers of pain every time her right foot hit the ground. Every impact sent a ripple of pain through her ankle that had her biting her lip and forcing Harry's face back to the front of her mind.

He'd be so proud of her when she made it over that line. She couldn't wait to watch his face as she videoed herself on the home stretch as she approached the finishing line and proved herself worthy of the money people had given her as sponsorship; the children's hospital would appreciate every penny, and hopefully put it toward other children like Harry who desperately needed their help.

They were running along the South Downs now, the fields lush and beautiful in the spring sun. It was cooler up here with the wind sweeping over the hills, but Bella was already looking forward to the next water station in around half a kilometer. She kept shooting glances at her phone to see how far away the next lot of water bottles were, but this last section had seemed to take forever.

"How're you holdin' up?"

"Holy—it's you," Bella breathed, yanking an earbud out to blink accusingly at Man-Mountain. His cheeks were a little red, his short hair damp with sweat. He smirked and kept pace with her.

"I usually go by 'Emmett,' rather than 'you.'"

Smiling despite her aches and pains, Bella murmured her name in return before adding, "You're American."

He nodded, "You, too. But you've been here a while, huh?"

"Ten years this year. You?"

"Two years last month."

Bella expected as much. His accent was still strong, whereas hers had mostly faded except for a few words and phrases here and there.

"You did know how far you'd be running today, Bella, right? I mean, you're obviously injured…"

Bella knew she was already flushed from exertion, but her cheeks flamed hotter. "Of course, I knew! I've been preparing for weeks. I'm fine."

Even as she said the words, a wince was taking over her features. She stared ahead, willing herself not to look at him. It was harder than anticipated. He stayed with her, the steady thump of his sneakers against the ground and the company of someone almost familiar oddly soothing.

"I broke my ankle six months ago," she finally panted.

His gaze burned the side of her face. "And you thought this was a good idea?"

"No, but it was too late to back out. I had people counting on me." Tears burned her eyes. "My son…he's waiting for me to finish. I've got to Facetime him, so he can cross the line with me."

Bella chanced a quick glance at her new companion; Emmett was smiling softly, but his eyes still smoldered like hot ash. "I know you think I'm stupid, but I couldn't let him down. He's been helping me train. I couldn't not do this today."

"I get it," he told her, his tone soft but firm. "I'm here on a promise, too."

Since Harry's initial diagnosis when he was just a year old, Bella had spent months sitting in hospitals surrounded by seriously ill children. She'd had countless meetings with doctors who'd told her to prepare for the worst; that her precious baby boy might not be coming home with her, or if he did, it wouldn't be to stay.

It was because of those experiences that she immediately recognized the agony of a loss in Emmett's eyes. She got to keep Harry, but Emmett…he'd lost someone.

The CLIC Sargent bib she'd donned before the race suddenly felt heavy.

"Who did you lose?"

He sighed, his stride never faltering even as he shot a quick look toward the sky. "My buddy, Jamie."

Instinct and experience told Bella to gently press on. "What happened?"

A couple of minutes passed, Bella guiltily accepting that she might have been wrong to push before Emmett surprised her by speaking again.

"We enlisted together out of high school. Becoming a Marine was his dream, but I guess I kinda grew to want it, too. We'd done everything else together up 'til then...same school, same friends, same shitty hometown."

Bella guessed where this story was going. The physical pain took a backseat to the second-hand agony she felt leaking from Emmett into her.

"It was our third tour. Afghanistan. We barely made it back, if I'm honest. I got back with a busted leg and some other injuries, and the other guys had similar. Then I got a call in the middle of the night two weeks after we got home. Jamie had…" Emmett sucked in a breath, letting it out slowly; his fists clenched, but his pace never faltered.

"Cancer. He had testicular cancer. He found a lump while we were out in the sandbox, but he didn't want to leave us behind to get it looked at. Our team carried him to his grave three weeks later."

Nothing could have prepared Bella for the rush of empathy and heartache that speared her right in the chest. She'd been wrong. She thought he was going to say Jamie had died in combat.

Swallowing a lump in her throat, she managed to find words. "Emmett, I'm sorry. That must have been heartbreaking."

Emmett's gaze found her. "Thank you. It was always his dream to do fifty-two marathons in fifty-two weeks, but he didn't get the chance, so I'm doing it for him. This is my twenty-first marathon this year."

Awe and, oddly, pride flowed through Bella's veins. She couldn't help but look at Emmett in a new light. His steely eyes and enormous, muscular stature made him appear almost otherworldly. Godlike, some might say.

But Bella saw right through it to the bleeding heart at his core. To the fissure left behind by the lost of his best friend.

"That's amazing. Fifty-two…that's a lot of marathons!"

Through slightly panted breaths, Emmett chuckled. "It sure is. By the time I'm done, I'm gonna want to sleep for fifty-two weeks."

"I already can't wait to crawl into my bed later, so I can't imagine how tired you must be."

To Bella's surprise, the last kilometer had passed quickly and they were quickly approaching the next water station; Emmett grabbed two bottles as they jogged past, handing her one with a bashful smile before taking long pulls from his, barely slowing enough for Bella to keep up while she drank her own water. They continued running together in companionable silence for a few more minutes.

Bella was just contemplating how comfortable she was with this relative stranger when Emmett cleared his throat and murmured, "What's your story? Who are you running for?"

As nice as it would be to say she'd grown numb to talking about her son's leukemia, Bella would have been lying. Thinking about it still made tears burn her eyes, a rock landing in the pit of her stomach. Talking about it never became easier, but she was sure talking about Jamie wasn't easy for Emmett, and she'd nudged him to open up.

"I told you about my son waiting for me to Facetime him at the end of the race…"

Emmett nodded, a frown furrowing his thick brows.

"He couldn't be here because he's got a stomach bug. His immune system is compromised because he's recovering from chemotherapy to treat leukemia for the second time."

A bubble had encapsulated them as they ran; it popped abruptly, letting in the sounds of the people around them, the wind blowing her hair back from her face, and the pounding of feet on the ground.

"Bella, I can't...I don't know what to say. Your boy — how old is he?"

"Harry's six." She pulled out her phone with shaky hands, fumbling with it before managing to hit the 'home' button to bring up her lock screen. Emmett peered over and barked a laugh. The photo she'd set to show every time she looked at her phone while it was locked always made her feel both warm and nostalgic. It was of her and Harry between his leukemia diagnoses, taken just a month before she had to rush him to the hospital already knowing in her heart of hearts that the cancer was back. They'd invited his friends over for a slumber party and spent the entire evening eating candy, making smores over the barbecue in the garden, and enjoying a carefree few hours together.

Bella's favourite photo from the day was a selfie of her and Harry grinning at the camera, their cheeks full of marshmallows, their smiles wide, and their eyes sparkling with happiness. Harry's hair had long-since grown back after his previous chemotherapy, his dark mop of curls identical to the shade of Bella's longer 'do.

Chemotherapy had robbed him of his hair once again. She couldn't wait until it grew back to that length now his treatment was over.

"He's adorable. You made a cute kid, Bella."

A flush stole over Bella's cheeks as she tucked her phone back into her pocket, making sure it was zipped shut so her beloved iPhone didn't bounce out; she'd made that mistake before.

"Thank you. I think he's pretty cute, but I may be a tad biased."

For the next couple of kilometers, Bella and Emmett caught each other up on the essentials; where they grew up, where they lived now, jobs...by the time they hit the forty kilometer banner, Bella couldn't deny how attracted to Emmett she'd become.

Her last partner of any kind was Harry's dad, who'd bailed shortly after finding out that their one-year-old had leukemia. Needless to say, Bella's faith in men had been seriously knocked. With a sick baby in hospital Bella hadn't put any kind of effort into dating. It just wasn't a priority. By the time Harry got the all clear they had their own routine, their own little apartment above her parents' garage; they didn't need a man.

Emmett, though…he made her want things she hadn't thought about in years. His smile melted her, his body so tantalising it was all she could think about unless she focused all her attention on his words, but even those drew her in.

Now she knew he'd been a soldier, it was obvious. He carried himself like one, and every so often she'd catch sight of the 'HOOAH' tattooed on the inside of his right bicep in a thick, bolt font. His entire physique screamed strength and power; especially his eyes.

Every time they caught her in their gaze, she was like a bee to honey. Utterly powerless to turn away. Steel grey and framed by unfairly long lashes, they were the second prettiest eyes she'd ever seen — her boy's would always be first in her opinion.

Emmett was halfway through explaining that his sisters lived in England, which was why he'd moved from New York after his honorable discharge following his last deployment, when Bella felt fingers twining with hers.

It was Jake, grinning at her with a suspicious flick of his eyes toward Emmett.

"Hey, little Bella. Want to introduce us to your friend?"

With crimson cheeks and a flare of annoyance at Jake's over-the-top protective nature, Bella introduced her new friend to her old friend. As Emmett turned his head to meet Jake's curious gaze, it was clear the latter had recognised him from earlier.

"Emmett, this is Jake. Jake, you remember Emmett."

Glancing up at Emmett, Bella stumbled slightly, mumbling her thanks when Jake steadied her by the waist without so much as a missed step.

Emmett was backing off. Over the course of a few seconds, his face closed off, his eyes hardening from a soft grey to steely ash.

"Well, I'll let you get on. It was great talking to you, Bella."

Dismayed, Bella watched him speed up slightly and drift away; he hesitated, looking back over his shoulder at her. "Give that boy of yours a fist-bump from me, okay? Take care of each other."

Bella murmured "I will," but he was already gone, merging into the foot traffic.

"B, you're really limping. Are you in pain?"

Now Jake mentioned it, without the distraction Emmett posed, Bella realised her ankle was throbbing. The cool wind stung her throat as she sucked in a quick breath and tried to find Emmett's broad shoulders amidst the runners in fancy dress or brightly coloured athletic wear.

"It's fine, Jake. It's sore but nothing I can't manage." Frustration crept into her tone; Jake mistook it as a sign of her pain.

"You don't look like you can manage it, Bella."

"Well I can, okay?" she snapped, immediately guilty. "I'm sorry, I'm just…"

"It's okay," Jake promised with a grin. "The guys wanted to slow down to talk to some chick dressed as Harley Quinn, so I thought I'd come keep my B company."

Even though she knew Jake had just as much of a hard-on for Harley Quinn as his buddies, Bella kept her mouth shut and silently accepted Jake's company. His chatter kept her from focusing too intently on the pain he'd brought back to the front of her mind, but his endless stream of nonsense only partially occupied her thoughts; Emmett lingered there, with his drool-worthy smile and rough, but somehow honeyed, voice.

~ oOo ~

Just under six hours and 43 kilometers in…

Pain. Exhaustion.

Everything hurt. Bella's chest constricted painfully with every breath, a whimper escaping her lips as she caught the first fleeting glimpse of the finish line ahead.

I'm not gonna make it.

Her ankle was killing her, every movement sending a ripple of agony up her leg and straight to her brain to tell her to sit down before she fell down. But the line...it was so close she could almost touch it. Another fifty or so feet and she'd be there.

As Jake peered at her with obvious worry, Bella fumbled with the zip of her hoodie to get at her phone.

"What are you doing?"

"I need...I need to call Harry…" she panted, hissing when they veered onto the Brighton Promenade; the slight change in slope gradient jarred her ankle. Bella cried out when she set her foot back down, then hobbled out of the way of the other runners, leaning on Jake.

"I can't do it, Jake. It hurts. This was a stupid idea, and now I'm going to let Harry down—" Tears choked her as she held her foot off the floor, misery turning her cheeks crimson. She could see a marshal heading their way, but before the woman could make it to her, Bella felt a pair of arms scooping her off the ground — one under her legs, one at her back.

Gasping and instinctively grasping the first thing her hands came into contact with, Bella found herself cradled in Emmett's arms, her fingers gripping the slightly damp fabric of his beige tee. Under her palms, his heart thundered away almost as fast and erratic as hers.

"Wh...what are you doing?"

"I'm finishing the race. What are you doing?" He smirked, his steps never faltering even with her added weight in his arms.

"I—Emmett, you—you can't…"

Adjusting her slightly, Emmett's flexing shoulders distracted her for a moment. He tapped her side, right over the outline of her phone. "Quick, get your cell so you can call your boy."

Bella waved off Jake's yelled questions, quickly pulling her phone from her pocket and dialling Harry. As they rapidly neared the finish line, Bella willed him to pick up.

"Come on, come on…" Disappointment furrowed her brows when the call rang off.

"Call him again," Emmett murmured, slowing down slightly. Bella ignored the burning discomfort of being carried by a relative stranger, focusing instead on her trembling fingers as she hit the picture of her parents to call them again.

It rang off just as they approached the finish line. Emmett mumbled for her to video it instead, smiling approvingly when she raised the phone in the air just in time to video them crossing the big red line. A feeling of euphoria so intense it stole her breath ran through her, even as she swallowed the embarrassment of having to be carried to the finish.

"You didn't have to do this."

Emmett peered down at her as he slowed to a jog, then a walk, carefully moving over to the side of the promenade near the sea so they weren't in the way of the other finishers; he still didn't put her down.

"Yeah, I did 'have' to." His tone brooked no argument, his eyes so intense they made Bella's breath catch.

With the sun beginning its descent toward the horizon, the ocean almost appeared to be on fire. The sky had been painted in a beautiful kaleidoscope of oranges, reds, yellows, and golds. It was glorious.

But it could never compete with the intense, smoky gaze staring down at Bella as she relaxed the hand still holding his tee, pressing her shaky palm over his pec instead. "Thank you. I mean, really — thank you. You have no idea how much this means to me."

With a curl of his lips, Emmett lightly squeezed her. "I think I do, actually." His eyes darted over her shoulder; when they returned to her face, the smoldering heat of a few moments ago had melted into something softer, something warmer. "Your fans are waiting. Can you walk at all?"

Frowning even as she nodded, Bella gritted her teeth ready for the pain of being set on her feet. She carefully steadied herself with her bad ankle raised, accepting Emmett's offered arm to keep herself upright.

Then she heard it.

"Mummy! Over here!"

"Is that…"

Emmett chuckled, carefully spinning her and pointing at three familiar faces. Renee, Charlie, and Harry waved from behind the barricades.

With wide eyes and tears gathering on her lashes, Bella asked Emmett, "How did you know they were here?"

Mischief lightened his eyes. "Through the power of sight, silly. You showed me a picture of your boy, remember?"

Okay, so Emmett can pull off a wink. Noted.

Bella childishly poked her tongue out before hobbling toward her family, Emmett carefully supporting her so she didn't fall while he made sure nobody crashed into her. When she made it to the barricade his hand shifted to her waist, helping her stay on her one good foot as she leaned over to hug her boy.

"You did it, Mummy! You did it!" Harry cheered, throwing his scrawny arms around her. He was wrapped up in several layers, the ends of his hoodie sleeves sticking out the sleeves of his coat. He also wore a scarf and a hat with the emblem for Manchester United on the front.

"You aren't supposed to be here, baby," Bella sniffled, pulling back to cradle his face as tears tumbled over her cheeks unimpeded.

Harry smirked mischievously, pointing a thumb over his shoulder at Charlie, who was holding him up. "Grandad said we could come surprise you if I wore all my jumpers and three pairs of socks. Only two fit in my shoes, but he said that's okay."

Emmett's bark of laughter drew the attention of Bella's family.

Harry beamed, holding out a mitten-clad hand. He'd never been the least bit shy. "I'm Harry Charlie Swan. Are you Mum's friend?"

Emmett straightened up and shook Harry's hand, shooting a quick, unreadable look at his mum before nodding. "I am, indeed. My name's Emmett McCarty. You must be Bella's bossman, right?"

Snickering, Harry agreed. "That's right. I'm the boss." He held up a hand to shield his mouth from Bella, loudly whispering to Emmett, "I let her think she's the boss sometimes 'cause it makes her happy, though."

"That sounds like a mighty fine idea, buddy."

Jake interrupted to check on Bella, then wandered off to find his friends, a sour look on his face every time he looked at Emmett's hand on Bella. After introducing Emmett to her parents, who were overwhelmingly grateful for his help in getting her over the finish line, Bella invited Emmett along to join them for a celebratory meal. They were hot and sweaty but they had to eat, and the majority of competitors were heading toward restaurants or bars nearby.

Emmett accepted their invitation, dutifully piggybacking Harry when Charlie winced and tried to shift his grandson in his arms; Harry wasn't overly heavy, but after carrying him all afternoon, Charlie's back was protesting.

"I've got you, buddy," Emmett promised, holding the boy's legs tight enough that he couldn't fall.

Bella watched them walking ahead and talking football with Charlie as she limped along with Renee. Her mum had expected her ankle to be painful and brought along a crutch, so Bella could walk without having to rely on Emmett.

"He seems like a lovely man, sweetheart."

Smiling, Bella nodded. "He is. He knew how much I wanted to finish. I wouldn't have made it over the line without his help."

"You sound like you have a bit of a soft spot for him…" Renee teased gently.

A light flush warmed Bella's cheeks, but she couldn't deny it. Not to her mum, who could read her every expression. "Emmett's great, but he's on a mission at the moment. He's running fifty-two marathons in fifty-two weeks. I think he said his next one is in Manchester next Saturday."

Renee's mouth fell open. "Fifty-two…oh, my! Why is he doing that?"

With fondness curling in her chest, Bella told her mum the short version. "He lost a close friend to cancer a few years ago, so he's running in his memory."

A smile played on Bella's lips as she watched her mum grow fonder of Emmett just having heard that. Renee was a tender, maternal woman, and always a sucker for a sob story.

~ oOo ~

After winding through the busy streets of Brighton, Bella, Emmett, Charlie, Renee, and Harry finally settled on Wahaca as the place to eat.

Harry had a hankering for Mexican, and Bella just liked him to eat; his appetite was slowly creeping back, much to her delight.

"Sit next to me, Em?"

Bella's heart constricted as she watched Emmett smirk and sit Harry on a chair in the restaurant before plopping himself down next to him, reaching over to tug his hat down over his eyes; Harry scowled, but he laughed as he pulled off the hat and tossed it to his mum for safe keeping.

The waitress brought over their menus, making sure to eye up Emmett as she leaned too-far over the table to flash her cleavage.

Bella bit her lip to stifle a giggle at the way he didn't even notice, her heart aching because Emmett was too busy talking all things Marvel with her son to notice the waitress giving him a show. She was left flushed and surprised when he then pulled out a pair of glasses, admitting that he couldn't read a thing without them.

By the time the food came, an enormous selection to share between the table with dishes chosen by everyone and approved by Harry, Emmett had Renee's silent approval as well as Charlie's. Bella's dad followed her to the bar when she excused herself for a moment, her overwhelmed body unable to cope with how adorable Emmett was when he interacted with Harry.

"This guy…he's different, isn't he? He's not like Jake."

Bella frowned and shook her head. "Jake? He's a friend."

Charlie smirked. "Exactly. Emmett…he's different, right?"

Her eyes danced back over to the table, finding Renee and Harry breathless with laughter as Emmett reenacted the Napkin Head scene from one of Bella's all time favourite films - The Holiday.

That scene always got Bella, because Harry didn't remember a time where his father was around, let alone have any memories of Napkin heads and silly giggles with him.

Then there was Emmett, who'd met Harry less than an hour ago and had already gained both his trust and friendship.

"Yeah, Dad," she finally sighed. "He's different."

~ oOo ~

Huffing a long sigh, Bella stared at the chain disappearing into Emmett's tee, wondering if his dog tags were hidden under the fabric. She didn't want to look at his face because she wasn't sure what she'd find.

Bella knew he was seeing her disappointment. She was powerless to hide it.

"Bella, I…" He trailed off, curling his fingers under her chin to nudge her gaze upward.

Unbidden, tears gathered in her eyes. "I'm sorry, I don't know why…" she laughed without mirth, swiping the moisture from her eyes. "This is stupid. I just met you today."

Ash grey eyes glinted in the dim light of the lamppost, his touch soft as his fingers crept over Bella's jaw to cup her face.

"I feel like I've known you forever."

Bella's heart clenched. "Ditto." Shifting to take the weight off her bad ankle, she sighed and let herself yearn, just for a moment. She let herself believe this wasn't the last time she'd see him, that he wasn't disappearing north to Manchester to run his twenty-second marathon in as many weeks.

Bella let herself believe they could have this wonderful evening over and over. That it was real, and he was hers to keep.

A question she'd meant to ask earlier popped into her head and out of her mouth before she could stop it.

"Why did you come back and help me? At the end of the race," she clarified when he cocked his head slightly.

"I saw you struggling, and I knew how much you wanted to finish for your boy. Your, ah, friend—"

"Jake is just a friend!" Bella blurted, her cheeks reddening. "Jake's just...he's overprotective sometimes. I know he came across a bit overbearing earlier, but it's not like that."

Emmett nodded pensively, his eyes betraying his relief. "Okay. Well, he didn't look like he was going to man up and get you to the finish line." A boyish cheekiness stole across his lips for a moment. "Plus, I couldn't resist the opportunity to see you and talk to you once more."

A quiet, electric current charged the air between them as Bella gazed up at his face, her fingers itching to stroke his beard or dive into his hair.

Emmett's long sigh rippled through Bella as he gave in and lowered his hand before she could maul him, resting it on her waist to pull her against his body. Bella's soft curves melted into his solid chest, the weight of his arms around her comforting rather than restraining; she breathed shakily and hugged him tight, twisting the fabric of his tee in her hands at the small of his back. They'd both spent a good part of the day running, both of them sweaty and in need of hot showers, but at that moment neither of them cared.

"I...I don't have space in my life for a relationship right now," she admitted softly after a few moments, hating herself as the words spilled out against Emmett's chest along with a few hot tears. "Harry's treatment has finished but we're not out of the woods. I don't have enough room in my brain for…" this...for you.

Squeezing gently, Emmett nodded and pressed his lips against the top of her head. "I know. I wish I could promise I'm here to stay, but I made Jamie a promise and I plan to keep it."

Pulling back, Bella smiled up at Emmett and soaked in his face; his beautiful eyes, that ridiculously gorgeous beard, and his slightly lopsided grin, all combined to create the heartbreakingly handsome face Bella knew she'd miss the second she walked away in a minute. She had to walk away, she knew that. Harry and her parents were waiting in the car across the street, Bella's parents averting their gaze while her son snoozed in the backseat.

"I'm going to miss you, Sergeant McCarty." Bella couldn't help but give a nod to his rank, even just teasingly. He'd told her about his time in the military while they ran, Bella fighting pride and misplaced worry for him as she listened to some of what he called his 'less scary' stories.

Emmett smirked, bending to rest their foreheads together for a beat. "I'm gonna miss the hell out of you and that boy of yours, Miss Swan."

Charlie and Renee were patient people, but they had an hour-long drive home and a sleeping boy in the backseat; Bella heard the whir of a car window being rolled down before her mum softly called her name.

Choking back the lump in her throat, Bella gave Emmett one last squeeze before slipping away, planting an impulsive kiss on his beard-covered cheek before hobbling across the road without a backwards glance to climb into the car with Harry.

"Sorry, baby."

"It's okay, Mum," Bella mumbled, fastening her seatbelt and staring resolutely at her lap as Charlie sighed and started the engine.

However, Bella couldn't resist the temptation of looking back one last time. She twined her fingers with Harry's on the seat between them, twisting to peer out of the rear window.

Emmett stood exactly where she'd left him, one hand stuffed in his pocket while the other raised in a silent wave just before they turned a corner and he disappeared from sight.

Determined to squash her regret over not at least taking Emmett's phone number, Bella made herself comfortable, scooting herself into the middle seat when they stopped at a red light so she could have her boy close, even with his booster seat in the way.

As they drove along the coast in the darkness of night, only stars and streetlights to illuminate their way, Bella gently stroked her son's head and reminded herself of what she'd told Emmett.

It was true. She didn't have space, even for a man like Emmett, who Bella instinctively knew it would be easy to fall for.

"I have my boy, and he's who I need to concentrate on," Bella whispered against Harry's head, only loud enough for her own ears.

~ oOo ~

7 months later…January 1st, 2019

A cold breeze whipped over the lake and stirred up the top dusting of snow covering the grass. Bella pulled her coat tighter around her chest, burying as much of her face as possible in the fluffy material of her scarf without covering her eyes; she needed to keep Harry and KC in her sights, of course.

Harry's giggles always made Bella smile, but today he was in particularly good spirits. After a rotten last year with the return of his cancer followed by chemotherapy, the loss of his hair, and countless infections due to his low immune system, he was finally back on track and due to return to school in a week after a year off. His health had improved tenfold, and under the beanie on his head was a crop of chocolate curls. The chilly New Years Day air had turned his cheeks rosy, but he was having far too much fun with his beloved Keeshond, KC, to spoil his fun just yet.

Initially, Bella was mad when Charlie and Renee surprised them with the ball of grey fluff on his seventh birthday in November. KC was nine-months-old and had belonged to one of Renee's friends who could no longer keep him due to her ill health. After making sure the pup was good with kids, Renee and Charlie offered to take him. Within ten minutes of KC and Harry meeting, Bella knew she couldn't tell her parents to find the dog another home; her son was besotted. His smile wider that day than it had been in months.

In the eight weeks since Harry had proven himself a capable and willing assistant in taking care of his new best friend. He did all the feeding, grooming, training, and insisted on being allowed to hold the leash when they took him for walks.

Living a few minutes away from the biggest park in Eastbourne afforded them the opportunity to bring KC over every day; including today, the first day of a new, hopefully cancer-free, year.

Harry was officially in remission as of December 22nd.

From her spot on the thick roots of an enormous, lakeside tree, Bella could see Harry and KC playing in the snow as well as the little bridge to the side of them, where her son liked to play Pooh sticks and race twigs over the little waterfall further down the stream. Even though it was cold, it was a beautiful day to enjoy the park. Charlie and Renee were heading out to visit friends late-morning, so she and Harry had plans to camp out on the sofa and binge-watch all their favourite movies, starting with Deadpool - Bella knew where all the swear words were in the movie and would fast-forward them, much to Harry's indignant disgust.

She was just deciding whether or not she wanted to risk wrecking the kitchen by suggesting they make their own pizza bases for dinner, when she heard a blood-curdling scream.

"Harry?" Bella flew up, almost tripping over a root and falling into the lake in the process, and scrambled around the enormous tree. "Harry, what's the...oh my God…"

Tears immediately sprang to her eyes as Bella watched Harry charge past her, KC following with his little red checked bandana fluttering in the wind, toward the imposing figure trudging through the snow.

"Emmett!"

Emmett dropped into a crouch at the perfect time to catch Harry, who threw himself at the man he'd met just one time with nothing but confidence that he'd catch him. Bella felt her heart take off at a sprint. He's here. Somehow, he found us and he's here.

"Hey, buddy. I didn't know if you'd remember me," Emmett chuckled, his voice thick as he hugged the boy.

"Of course, I remember you! You're my mum's hero." Pulling back, Harry scooped up his dog and introduced KC to Emmett. "Oh, this is KC, my dog."

Emmett gave the little dog a scratch between the ears, both him and Harry laughing when KC's rear leg began wiggling in the air.

"You found his tickle spot," Harry snickered.

It had been seven months since Bella saw Emmett's grin or heard his rich laugh.

Seven long months of sitting up in the darkest hours of the night soothing Harry's nightmares about chemo, or cooling his feverish face with a damp flannel when he was sick, trying to work out if she'd done the right thing by letting Emmett go without exchanging phone numbers.

Seven months of wondering if kissing him before she walked away that night would have been as good as she imagined.

She didn't want to wait any longer.

Emmett's gaze jumped to her when she started moving toward them; his grey eyes widened when she sped up into a jog, her heart thumping hard as she flung herself at his chest, wrapping her arms and legs around him and clinging on as he straightened up.

"Bella," he sighed, holding her just as tight as she was clutching him. Through their many layers of coats, jumpers, and scarves, they felt each other relax and melt into one unit.

With her face buried in the juncture between his jaw and neck, Bella sniffled, "How did you find us?"

"I managed to find your mom and dad's address online. You told me the name of your mom's nail business, so I used that."

Giggling almost deliriously, Bella remembered talking to Emmett about her mum's talent for nail art and the business she ran out of the converted garage under the flat she lived in with Harry and KC.

"Wait...have you...have you finished your marathons? It's the first!"

Emmett was grinning ear-to-ear when she slid to the ground and remembered her son was watching their exchange with a face-splitting grin of his own. "I ran the last one yesterday in Essex, spent New Years Eve with my sisters, then drove straight out here to see if I could find you. When I got to your mom and dad's they told me you were here, so…"

Warmth curled in Bella's belly. "I can't believe you came all this way just to find us."

"Why wouldn't I?" Emmett seemed genuinely puzzled. "Look, Bella, I know we only spent a few hours together, but I can't…" he trailed off, moving to rake a hand through his hair before realising he couldn't get to it because of his beanie. Sheepishly, he stuffed his hands in his hoodie pockets. "I couldn't not come. I needed to find out if you felt the same way I did. The same way I do. We had a connection that day."

Harry's sperm donor, because he hadn't earned the title of 'father' or 'dad,' had never once made Bella feel like she was worth all this effort. Her college boyfriend had barely shown her the time of day between wanting to hang out with his friends and smoke cigarettes that he stole from his parents behind the bike shed.

Emmett had searched for her. He'd obviously been thinking about her, like she'd been thinking of him. And now, he'd come for her - her, and Harry.

He reached out, booping Harry's red nose. "What do you think, buddy? Do you mind if I hang out with you guys a bit?"

Harry shrugged, letting KC wriggle back to the snow-covered ground. "If you guys get all kissy, I'm gonna blackmail you to make me keep it a secret from Nan. She's crazy and I kinda like you, Em. I don't want her to scare you away, but she gives me all kinds of cool stuff for reporting on Mum."

Bella's mouth fell open as she barked a surprised laugh. Emmett just chuckled and nodded. "Sounds good to me, buddy. Now — how about we get a warm drink and catch up? I'm freezing."

"Oh, come on, follow me, Em! Kristen in the café does the best hot chocolate with whipped cream and marshmallows. We come pretty much every day just to have it."

Harry tore off, his faithful pooch hot on his heels, leaving Emmett and Bella in his wake. They exchanged almost bashful smiles.

"I'm sorry if I was out of line putting it to Harry, but I meant it, Bella. I felt something that day, and I've waited long enough to find out if you felt it, too."

With tears gathering on her lashes, Bella admitted, "I felt it. I've thought about you...so often. By the time I woke up the next day I regretted leaving without getting your number."

The quiet swish of the trees above and the trickle of the nearby waterfall was all Bella could hear as Emmett reached out, twining their fingers together before swinging them between their bodies with a soft sigh. His gaze was mesmerising. Bella didn't notice he'd leaned in until their lips were a hair's width apart and his warm breath was fanning over her face.

"I just...can I?"

Bella surged forward and pressed her lips to his, swallowing his groan of surprise even as she smiled against his mouth and fisted his hoodie with her free hand. It was freezing, but Bella felt nothing but the heat of his touch. They kissed leisurely, a gentle sweep of tongues and caressing breaths.

Harry was the proverbial bucket of ice water.

"That's it! I'm gonna tell Nan you're being all kissy if you don't buy me at least one cookie!"

Breaking apart with breathless laughter, Bella and Emmett gazed at each other with wonder and relief.

"If I buy him all the cookies, d'you think he'll pretend he doesn't see when I get kissy with you a whole lot today?"

Snorting, Bella righted her scarf and planted one last kiss on his beard-covered cheek before tugging him by the hand toward the café and her kiss-blocking son. "I doubt it. The kid's a smartass, but he's also a Nanny's boy. He'll tattle on us no matter how many cookies we buy. I just like to humour him."

Pausing, Emmett drew her to a stop. Flicking a glance toward Harry, was now amusing himself while he waited for them by throwing snowballs for KC to catch, Emmett's brows furrowed. "How is he? Did the treatment work?"

It didn't matter how many times Bella said it. Saying the words 'he's in remission' always put a beautiful smile on her face.

Seeing the way Emmett reacted to the news, with a small, boyish fist-pump and a huge sigh, only made the words better.

"We went back to the hospital a week after the race to give them the money I raised. They were so grateful, and I knew it would go to help other kids like Harry. They have a fund for the children to use for activities while they're sick in hospital, or to help celebrate when they're better." Reaching up to caress Emmett's face, Bella smiled. "If you hadn't helped me cross that line, I wouldn't be able to say now that I ran to help provide for those kids' futures...that I ran for their lives."

"Well?" Harry yelled, breaking up the heavy moment. "Are you coming, or what?"

"Or what!" Bella and Emmett yelled back in unison.

Harry shook his head and stuck his hands on his hips, rolling his eyes at the cackling duo. Looking down at KC, he shrugged. "What're you gonna do, KC? They're all mushy and lovey dovey. C'mon, let's go get our hot chocolate. Well, hot milk for you."

KC offered his little master a lick on the cheek and happily snuggled into his arms as he was carried toward the café. By the time Emmett and Bella had gotten over their giggle-fit, Harry and KC were comfy inside with their hot drinks, and Harry had snapped a picture of them walking toward him hand-in-hand on his children's Firefly flyPhone.

Grinning, he sent it to the number titled 'No.1 Nan' before taking a big chug of his drink, leaving him with a whipped cream moustache.

As soon as Bella walked in and spotted her son, she sighed. "You already tattled, didn't you?"

"Mmhmmm," he admitted cheerily, holding up the cookie Kristen had given him. "And I don't even need you to buy my cookie."

~ oOo ~

Seventeen months later...May 27th, 2020

"C'mon, Mum! You can do it!"

Bella panted, her aching body protesting the arm she had in the air to hold her phone, but she'd promised to have Harry with her when she crossed the line. He was waiting for her on the other side, but he wanted to cross the line with her, too.

"He's right, babe, you can do it."

Glancing right at the man who'd been her personal cheerleader for the duration of the entire 100k, Bella fought the urge to curse.

"Easy for you to say, Sarge," she wheezed, relief almost bowling her over when she spotted the line up ahead. Her legs were killing her, and her entire body was screaming at her to lay down, but she was so close.

Two years ago, a forty-four kilometer run had almost killed her.

But it had also given her the man at her side - her husband.

Despite the pain and exhaustion of almost twenty-four hours on the move, Bella smiled at the memory of her now-husband carrying her down this promenade toward the finish line.

"D'you want to reenact our first run, babe?" Emmett asked with a smirk. For a man who'd been out of the military for years now, he was still remarkably unaffected by such strenuous exercise. He was barely even out of breath.

In a mutter too quiet for her son to hear, Bella reminded herself she was carrying extra weight.

"No, Mum's gonna cross it herself this time," Harry told him, adding with a sheepish smile, "Dad."

The mushy look on Emmett's face was just plain adorable. Harry had gone through stages of calling Emmett 'Em,' then avoiding calling him by a name altogether and starting every conversation with 'um,' and now he'd moved on to calling him 'Dad.' Their wedding three months ago had been the catalyst. Talk of Bella changing her surname from Swan to McCarty had invited a conversation about what Harry's surname would be. He hadn't been a Hunter like his sperm donor since he bailed, but Bella hadn't considered that he might want to change names with her.

So, on February 14th, 2020, one McCarty and two Swans became three McCartys.

Soon, there'll be four.

As they approached the line, Bella spotted Charlie, Renee, and Harry hanging over the barricades with Emmett's sisters, Brandi and Carmen, and their families. Emmett quickly unzipped his hoodie before taking the phone from Bella so she could follow suit.

As they jogged over the line hand-in-hand and as close to their family as possible, Bella and Emmett laughed at the looks of surprise and excitement on their faces.

They had the tees specially made for this event. Bella's said 'Adding a new workout partner…' and Emmett's finished it off with 'November 2020' and a picture of a cartoon baby in running gear.

By the time they made it to their family, all Bella wanted was to grab their boy and see how he felt about it all. His opinion mattered to her the most.

He all-but pounced on her the second she was within reach, his ear-to-ear grin soothing her initial fears he'd be upset about the pregnancy.

"Are you really having a baby? I'm gonna get a brother or sister?"

Emmett held back the rest of the family with a soft smile for his wife as she crouched and pulled the sonogram image from her pocket.

"We really are," she confirmed, ignoring the excited squeals coming from Renee, Brandi, and Carmen. "How do you feel about getting a baby brother or sister?"

Harry cocked his head, looking between his mum and dad. "Will I have to share my room?"

"No, son," Emmett snickered. "We were actually thinking we might finally give your nan and grandad their flat back and find a house for us to live in, so you and the baby can have your own rooms."

"And KC can have a garden?"

Emmett nodded, smirking. "I guess we could add a garden to the list of requirements."

"Then it's okay." His smile widened as he sighed, stroking the grainy picture of his unborn sibling before tugging his mum and dad in for a group hug. "I thought I was getting my mum to run a marathon to make her feel good about herself, and help make other kids' lives better, but I ended up getting the best life out of it. I get a dad and a baby, all because my dad was a hero and decided to help you over the finish line, Mum."

Bella and Emmett shared love-filled smiles, laughing into their kiss as Harry announced to anyone in the nearby vicinity that his parents were getting kissy so everyone should just look away before the gross sight made them puke.