Author's note: here we are at the end of our journey... take it in, cherish it, the final chapter of Hope. For the final time, Enjoy.

Hope Chapter 55- The End.

JPOV

I could hear the sirens blaring. The flashing lights shone through the trees as they made their way closer and closer to the cabin, carefully treading the dirt roads that led back here.

I held onto Alice in a death grip, my eyes still stinging with tears. It had been so close. So close to my love dying. Too close. I still couldn't think straight. My hands shook with shock, my stomach still in knots from the overwhelming emotion that had hit me.

I looked down at the cost of her life. The cost of our lives. Mack. Why had he done that? He had never cared for anyone but himself. He was cocky and full of anger and bitterness... or at least, that was the Mack whom I had known. But apparently, the guy that I knew was not the same person that Alice knew. And somehow, today I had seen that different side of him.

When Greg had spoken about not protecting the one you love, I had noticed Mack's eyes flash with pain, connecting with Alice's. She seemed understanding of him, almost pleading with him. It was as if the two knew something that no one else did. And then he had determinedly pushed her out of the way and took a bullet for her. Why would he do that...?

I was sure that Alice understood why. I would ask her about it when things calmed down. But for now, I was just thankful to Mack for the move that he had made. Could I ever repay a favor like that?

As I glanced over him, blood still flowing from his wound, his body pale and still, I then wondered if I would even get the chance to? Even with Nick pressing hard with both hands, the blood still seemed to be flowing...

I glanced over at Greg, who was standing close to the edge of the porch. Surprisingly, he did not look like he was about to run. Instead, his eyes were glued on Mack. He looked protective of him. Concerned...? I didn't understand where that was coming from.

"Jasper, I have to leave. The cops are coming," Nick said quietly to me, just seeming to realize. My eyes widened in acknowledgment.

"Okay, go," I nodded, keeping the gun tight in my hands, ready for any move Greg might make.

Nick looked down at Mack, not sure of what to do. Should he let go for even a moment?

"Greg!" Nick growled, waving him over. We needed another person and Greg was unarmed. "Don't pull anything dumb or you're dead," Nick warned him as Greg knelt down, replacing Nick's hands.

The sirens were getting louder, the lights brighter. They would be here soon.

Alice still hadn't moved, her face pressed tightly to my chest as she watched Mack, full of fear. As she clutched me tightly, though, she still tried to ease my tense muscles, despite everything that she was going through right now.

Nick stood and I noticed that his eyes were also red and moist, just like mine. Tears had obviously fallen from his eyes as well.

"I'll be close," Nick told me, but froze as Alice's hand grabbed his.

"Nick, you're crying." Alice's voice was quiet, strained, painful to hear. She sounded genuinely confused as to why there were tears in his eyes.

Nick smiled down fondly at her and lightly touched her cheek.

"Never do that to me again, kiddo. You scared the shit out of me. You and your reckless stunts..." Nick said, his tone serious.

Then he tried to lighten the mood as he shook his head.

"You pull anything like that again and I'll shoot you myself!" he warned her. He was trying to keep things light, but his voice trembled a bit, as if he was trying not to let her see how truly afraid he had been.

He leaned down and kissed her cheek tenderly. The blood from his nose smeared onto her cheek.

I sighed and wiped it off the best that I could. In Alice's state of shock, she didn't even seem to notice.

"Be back soon," he whispered to us both. But before he could leave, she squeezed his hand tighter, preventing him from leaving.

"Will you-- you'll come back, right?" Alice asked him nervously. I wondered if she had worried about things like that when Greg had taken her. Had she had confidence that we would be back for her?

Nick seemed to get it as much as I did, though. Between being apart from us, and then having Mack "leave" her to save her... it was understandable that she would be uneasy about Nick leaving again.

He gave her a reassuring smile and squeezed her hand. "You'll see me again before I head back to Spencer's, okay? Promise."

She sniffed and then nodded. "Okay," she whispered. And then she paused for half a second before saying, "Nick...thank you..."

He shook his head, "I got your and Jasper's back, and you two have mine. We look out for each other... that's what family's for."

He matched her small smile and then ran off into the bushes.

I looked away from where Nick had disappeared and glanced down to see Greg with a determined look on his face, his eyes squinted a bit with frustration.

"You are not going to die on me! We need you, kid," Greg mumbled, very quietly to him. He probably didn't want us to hear him. Had Greg ever said a nice thing like that before? They needed him? My mind became even more confused about everything that had happened today. Needing someone was a sign of weakness...

"Jazz..." Alice whispered, her voice so innocent and vulnerable. I looked down at her and kissed her softly on the lips before answering, trying to get that pain out of her voice.

"What is it, darling?" I asked her softly. She sniffed loudly, tears still soaked her cheeks.

"Don't let Mack die, she pleaded, her eyes burning into mine for a long moment. Her unspoken words filled my mind. She was telling me that she would be so broken if he died for her. That she would feel guilty for the rest of her life. She thought she could save him and instead, she believed that she had killed him.

"He is going to be fine, love," I assured her the best that I could. I had no idea if he would be, but she needed the reassurance right now. "He did what he needed to do... but he'll be okay now, Alice..."

Just as I said that, the ambulances and police cars pulled up to the cabin, people jumping out of both. The paramedics got to us first, kneeling down beside Greg.

"What happened?" one asked him, oblivious that he had been the one to shoot the kid.

Greg looked up at them seriously, explaining that he had gotten shot in the chest about ten minutes ago and that he had been trying to stop the bleeding ever since.

"What's his name? Is he allergic to anything? Taking any medications?" The paramedic asked him for the information that they needed to know.

Greg let them take control as they boasted him onto a wheelie bed.

"Mack Ethan Thompson. No he isn't allergic to anything that I know of," Greg answered them, "And he...might have been taking some pain pills. And sleeping pills. And some other kind of pills... you'll probably find some alcohol in his system too. I don't know if you need to know that," he mumbled quietly.

I felt Alice's anger as I held her against me. Her whole body stiffened and her hands trembled in mine as she listened to Greg, who was now answering their more specific questions about the exact pills that Mack was taking, and how often and why he had been taking them. They needed to know so that they didn't give him any medicine that might react incorrectly with the pills that were already in his system.

"Shh, darling. It'll be okay," I whispered quietly, kissing her hair.

"He gave him all of those pills, Jazz. Greg knew mixing all of that could hurt Mack and he knew that Mack was taking them with beer, but he still gave him that shit..." she spat angrily.

I hugged her tightly to me, partly to try to calm her down and partly to make sure she wasn't going to lunge at Greg. "Shh, don't swear, darling."

She took in a few deep breaths, trying to gain control over herself. "Nick said it first," she said stubbornly, in her defense. This relaxed me ever so slightly. It was a glimpse of my Alice... not freaked out Alice, but normal Alice. She'd pull through this experience... hopefully without nightmares...

"Jasper! Alice!" Chief Swan called to us, walking over hurriedly. He looked over us both and frowned, first at what he saw, and then at the gun in my tight grasp.

"I think it would be wise for me to take that," he stated firmly, coaxing the gun softly out of my grip. I let him have it effortlessly, not wanting it. I'd be okay if I never had to touch another gun in my life.

"Are you two all right?" he asked, scanning over us quickly. I saw his gaze linger on the wounds on my head and forearm, and then at Alice's disheveled appearance and the scratches on her arms. He waved the other paramedics over quickly.

"Yeah, we are. We are okay," I said to him, but mostly to Alice. It wasn't a lie. We were okay. We were going to be fine. It was all going to be okay. How could it not be? She was alive...

The paramedic took one look at me and his eyes widened. I was sure that not much like this happened in Forks. Most of the gang activity occurred in Port Angeles because of the rival gang there. And any gang fights here definitely wouldn't result in having the police or paramedics appearing.

"Come sit over here, son," the man said to me.

I nodded to him, trying to walk with Alice still wrapped in my arms. I managed all right and sat on the porch steps. Alice immediately sat beside me, clinging to my waist.

"Chief Swan," I said, getting his attention again as he was talking to a different officer.

He looked up at me questioningly. "Greg... the guy who is with the guy who got shot... he was the one who shot him. He also kidnapped Alice and all of the guys inside assisted him. They tried to kill Alice, but Mack, the one who got shot, jumped in front of the bullet to save her," I explained quickly, before Greg could leave in the ambulance with Mack.

Chief Swan's face was serious and he whipped around, both of us not seeing Greg anywhere in sight.

Where had he gone, already? It was just a moment ago that he was here!

I looked around the bushes, scanning for him frantically. No! They had to catch him this time. Alice's arms tightened even more around my waist as she realized, too, that Greg had gotten away.

I leaned over, kissing her forehead for a long moment. We watched half of the cops as they spread out, looking for him, while the other half went into the cabin.

The paramedic came over to start working on my arm, but I stopped him.

"Take care of her first," I insisted.

"I'm okay, though..." Alice whispered, looking up at me through her dark, wet eyelashes.

I moved so that I could take her wrists lightly and flipped her arms over, showing the paramedic the thin red scratches. She seemed to just now remember that they were there. He nodded, realizing that I wouldn't cooperate with him until she had been taken care of.

He turned away to get a few things from his kit, and Alice reached to touch one of the scratches with her fingers. She scrunched her eyebrows and looked at the blood on her fingers, slightly confused.

"I fell. When he pushed me..." she said quietly, staring at her arms, dazed.

"You're okay," I said softly. I ran my thumb under her eye, where Greg had hit her. "You're just fine, Alice." It was too much for her...

The paramedic turned back to us and rolled her sleeves up gently, so he had clear access to her cuts. I noticed bruising finger marks on her upper arms and anger rocketed through me. They had hurt her... my Alice...

I tried to hold it together, though. For her sake.

"This might sting a little..." the paramedic told Alice before slowly pressing a medicated cotton swab against her arms.

She took in a sharp breath and pulled her arm away from him, but I grabbed her hand. "It's okay. It's okay... he's cleaning the cuts so that you don't get an infection," I explained, trying to calm her down. I stared at her worriedly.

Her wide eyes met mine, searching. Then she nodded, trusting me. "It burns," she whispered simply.

"I know, darling. Just look at me, don't think about it..." I told her, nodding at the paramedic.

He continued to clean her arms, and this time she only flinched before staring into my eyes, losing herself in them. I held her gaze until he was done, and then he wrapped her arms with gauze.

"They're not too deep. This is just precautionary. She can take the gauze off when she gets home," he explained to me before starting to tend to my wounds. I felt the burning, but ignored it. I was used to this by now-- and I had experienced way worse before. Plus, Alice was here. And she needed me...

"Do you have anything for shock?" I asked the man slowly as he tried to fix me. I looked down at Alice, whose eyes were wide, now staring blankly ahead into the forest.

"Yeah, one second," the man said, nodding quickly, jumping up to look in his bag. He knelt down in front of Alice, looking at her with a look of pity on his face.

It's my fault... I wanted to tell him. She doesn't always look like that... she's usually so happy. I'm sorry I got her involved in this stuff... but please don't pity her. She hates pity... that's why she moved here...

But I kept silent.

"Is she on any medications?" The man asked me.

"Mild sleeping pills," I told him.

He nodded in acknowledgment before picking out two pills from his kit. "Miss, I have some pills here for you. They'll help you calm down...they'll relax you. Here's the water and the pills." He tried to hand them to Alice, but her eyes didn't even seem to see him.

I frowned deeply and reached my spare hand out to grab them from him. He watched her carefully, probably trying to diagnose what was wrong.

"Darling," I whispered into her ear, looking passionately into her eyes, trying to break her trance.

She blinked, focusing her eyes onto me for a moment. She looked down at the pills and drink in my hand and gave me a questioningly look. My eyes told her that it was okay for her to take them, and she nodded before taking them mutely.

The paramedic continued to work on me, and a few minutes later, Alice whispered, "Will he be okay?"

He looked at my arm and head and nodded confidently.

"He'll be as good as new in no time," the man assured her, but I knew she wasn't asking about me. She knew that I would be okay. This was nothing compared to what she had seen happen to me before. I could barely feel the sharp sting.

"No, Mack," she sniffled, looking up at us, finally moving.

The man wasn't sure who she was talking about, which must have annoyed her. She scrunched her face in a way that almost made me smirk about how adorable she was when she was aggravated. But I knew how serious this really was.

"The one who got shot," I explained to him quickly before she blew up on him for everything that had happened.

"Oh. Well, he had lost a lot of blood, from what I had seen. But since I didn't examine him, I can't be certain about anything," the man murmured to her, unsure if she could take the news.

"He'll be fine, darling," I hurriedly said, kissing her temple reassuringly. She looked up into my eyes, searching them for the truth. Then she slowly pulled away from the gaze and nodded hopefully as she leaned over to kiss my lips ever so lightly.

"Are you okay, Jazz?" Her voice was concerned and wary, looking at the man who was now wiping the blood from my head, having finished bandaging my arm.

"I am fantastic. As long as you are okay, I am perfect," I sang sweetly into her ear, kissing it tenderly.

She shivered involuntarily as my cold breath hit her neck. She instantly cuddled her head into the crook my neck, breathing in deeply, emotion taking her over again.

"I love you, Jazz," she whimpered, tears trailing down her cheeks.

I wrapped both of my arms lovingly around her, waiting impatiently for the paramedic to finish with my head. I needed to be alone with her before she totally lost it. I knew this would all be too intense for her. Seeing someone shot, the near death experience, the adrenaline rush... everything.

"That should do it, but I recommend you get a doctor to look at it more closely. The stab wound wasn't deep, but you may need a tetanus shot, just to make sure it doesn't get infected," the man instructed me as he finished, pulling away with a polite smile.

"Okay, I will look into it. I live with a doctor, so I'll make sure he looks at it," I assured him, my words rushed and impatient.

He nodded gratefully and took his bag toward the second ambulance, since the other one had already hurried off with Mack.

"You feeling okay, my love?" I asked her, wanting the honest truth. I reached to cup her face in my hands.

Her lip was out a bit, pouting.

"I don't know..." she replied, her eyes confused, trying to figure it out. She looked herself up and down slowly, checking for physical pain.

"I don't feel anything bad. My arms are burning a little..." she answered, smiling weakly up at me. "You looked a lot worse than me..." she chuckled, trying to sound joking, but it came out almost bitter.

I rolled my eyes and pretended to be offended.

"That hurts." I put my hand on my heart and pouted mockingly.

Alice smiled at my attempt to joke with her, but her smile didn't quite reach her eyes. "Jazz, I could've shot Greg," she said, blatantly expressing what was on her mind.

I swallowed hard and cleared my throat. "But you didn't. And you wouldn't have."

She shook her head. "I don't know. I couldn't think straight... I just felt so mad, and then so numb at the same time. It was weird..."

"It's normal," I said quickly, trying to make her feel less inferior. "I've felt it before... your brain just sort of goes blank." I wished that I didn't know what she was talking about. Or better yet, that she hadn't felt that deep enough to be able to describe it to me. I didn't want her to have to feel that way. Ever.

"But you wouldn't have shot him," I reassured her as she looked at me for confirmation. She needed to know that she wouldn't have pulled the trigger. That she wouldn't have taken Greg's life. That she did not have the potential to be a killer. She was too good. And when I told her that, I wasn't lying to her. She really wouldn't have killed him. I knew that the second she would have tried, her conscience would have kicked in and helped her, if I hadn't been there to. As much as she hated him, she wouldn't have lost all control.

"You might've freaked him out a bit, though... shot away from him or something just to see if he'd jump..." I told her with a smile, trying to lighten her eyes.

It worked. She smiled in amusement, a tiny sparkle springing into her dull looking eyes. How I hated the emptiness that had taken them over. She should never have to be empty of emotion, like I had been. She should never have to try to cover her emotions. She was my bubbly, happy Alice. I never wanted that to change.

"Mmm, I love that smile, darling. I missed it so much," I breathed. The hand that wasn't on my heart traced over her bottom lip.

She smiled even wider, forgetting everything that was going on just for a moment. She leaned up, her lips searching for mine, and I met hers midway.

Her lips parted for mine, the kiss slow, but still with so much passion in it. We both needed that connection to heal. We needed to assure each other that we were both alive and okay. It was minutes before I pulled away, gazing into her green eyes.

"I was so scared..." she whispered quietly, "I thought that he was going to kill you, Jazz. I want you to be able to live without all of this so so much. I can't wait to leave with you..." she told me, her voice low and quiet, almost ashamed to say that she wanted to leave.

"I know, darling, I know. We'll be out of here soon. Just you and me. Forever," I grinned widely at the words that came from my mouth.

"Forever," I repeated, leaning down to kiss the girl who had changed my life in so many ways. To know that I would have her forever... well, what more could I ask for?

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APOV

It was about a week later. Mack and I now sat in a peaceful silence on the benches at the park.

It was weird being here with Mack without him being a mess. He wasn't sitting by the swings stoned or drunk. He sat beside me, his arm resting casually on the back of the bench, as we watched kids playing at the playground in the rare, sun-filled afternoon.

I was over the shock of what had happened. I only had the fading scratch marks on my arms to remind me of that day. I was grateful that those were the only lingering marks; Jasper was bad enough when he saw them... I couldn't imagine what he'd be like if I had any permanent scars.

Mack was still healing from the bullet wound. He had to be careful not to do anything reckless and was on strict orders to just relax. He had been doing well with that, taking everything slow, healing quickly.

I was grateful, beyond everything. Grateful that he had survived, that we had all survived...and grateful that he had saved my life.

I couldn't even comprehend how much it would have hurt to go through what he had... how strong you would need to be to have pulled through that. He had looked so...dead... not moving, blood pouring out of him. I was so sure that he had died.

What had surprised me more was why he had pushed me out of the way. I didn't know the full reason, or even the reason, but I was pretty sure it was because of Katie. If I had the choice to remain safe, and I had lost Jasper, like he had lost Katie, would I have risked my life for someone like Mack had?

Mack used to be suicidal... his whole mind had been set on giving up and being with Katie again. And I knew that he had still been thinking like that when we had been hanging out, and may even still think like that now. That was why he had been so careless with drugs and alcohol... it wouldn't have been a loss to him if he had died.

But still, he had fought through the blood and pain after being shot, making it through it all. That had shown me that he had changed, at least a bit, and was getting stronger. I was so proud and happy that he was slowly getting better... I knew he could do it… I had known it all along. I had Hope for his future...

"How are you feeling?" I wondered, glancing over at his face. He smiled crookedly at me and shrugged, his fingers touching the bandage under his shirt.

"It's weird... I feel like crap, but I feel better than I have in a while, you know? But I do kind of miss the hospital... it was like having my own personal slaves to torture," Mack joked, smirking humorously.

I chuckled softly to myself, remembering him at the hospital. Jazz and I had slept for a good fourteen hours the night after we had gotten home from the cabin, and then I had insisted that we visit Mack in the hospital.

He was nothing like the torturous patients that they probably had all the time. He had been sweet and patient with all of the nurses. He would joke with them and make them smile, much like what he had done that one day with the older cashier at the store. The nurses had adored him. I think they literally fought to do his blood work, wanting to spend time with him, more than with the other patients.

"Oh yeah, you were a real tough one over there. I think they are definitely glad you're gone... a big load off of their shoulders," I played along, sarcastically, rolling my eyes.

"What can I say? I'm a charmer," Mack laughed, smiling widely. His dimples came out, showing that it was a real smile.

"I think they were going to shoot you again themselves, just for an excuse to keep you," I joked, nudging him softly with my elbow. I had totally forgotten how Greg used to do that to him, but he didn't flinch or cringe. He just laughed to himself, not even noticing.

Mack and Greg were still on good terms, surprisingly. Jazz told me that usually Greg would've killed someone after they did something so "stupid," but Greg was too shocked that Mack would do that for someone. He took it as some twisted sign of loyalty, even if it was loyalty against him. He actually felt bad for shooting him, or something. I don't know, Jasper and I had a hard time grasping it. Greg was just too complex to figure out.

He was letting Mack stay at the gang cabin, since that was where Mack had been living, apparently. Mack hadn't gone home in a while... he said it had reminded him too much of Katie and that since he had joined the gang, he had never gone back.

Greg was still nowhere to be found. He was in hiding from the cops. Jazz had given Chief Swan an accurate story of what all Greg had done to me... and then I had to do the same. We had both spoken so that it was as if Greg had been forcing Mack to do what he said, so Mack wouldn't be in trouble with the police. After I had explained to Jasper what Mack's story was, Jasper had been more than willing to help him, especially after he had saved my life.

Unfortunately, Mack seemed to know where Greg was, but was still too loyal to say a thing. He didn't even blame Greg for shooting him. It was odd to see the bond between them. A psychopath and a sweetheart getting along, protecting each other. I didn't like it, but I couldn't change Mack's mind on it. Every time I tried to talk to him about it, he politely answered that he couldn't explain it correctly, and then he would change the subject. I suspected that he saw Greg as the big brother that he never had or something. As someone who had saved him from death at his own hand by accepting him and helping him avenge Katie's death. I couldn't argue with him about it, because it was beyond my comprehension.

"It's been a bit hard though, without alcohol or drugs… it's been kind of long for me now. Longer than ever," Mack admitted honestly, frowning a bit.

The hospital wouldn't let him leave for about a week, and he obviously wasn't allowed any drugs while he was there. He had told me that he had went through a few days of intense withdrawal while he was there, and that the nurses had tried to make him as comfortable as possible during it.

So not only was he healing from a bullet wound, but he was going through withdrawal... from many things. It had been about two weeks since he had been shot and he was still clean. The only sign that it was still difficult were his tired eyes and shaking hands, but like he said, he felt better than he had in a while, despite the withdrawal.

Once again, he was being so strong. I wasn't sure if I would be able to do what he was doing.

"But you are doing such a great job," I reassured him, "Katie would be proud of you." I touched his hand lightly for just a moment.

Mack glanced up at the sky for a quick moment and smiled happily, his eyes dancing just a bit.

"I wouldn't be able to do it without her," Mack whispered in a sweet voice, pulling his old worn out picture out of his pocket, touching her face softly with his fingertips.

I smiled proudly at him, watching him stare passionately at his most prized possession.

"Mack...?" I heard a soft voice from behind us calling.

I looked back behind us to see a middle aged woman and a little boy, probably around four years old, holding her hand.

Mack didn't turn around, but raised his head slowly, his eyes flashing with strong emotions.

He stood up hesitantly, turning around very slowly. I watched curiously, wondering who they were.

"Mack!" the little boy squealed joyously, letting go of the woman's hand, running forward. The woman flew forward, trying to grab him, but he was too fast.

"Jason!" the woman yelled at him, trying to get him to stop.

Mack looked at the boy, a broken look in his eyes, emotion visible throughout his whole body. The little boy ran to Mack.

He stopped in front of him for a moment, his arms spreading open, asking for a hug.

Mack stiffened momentarily, but then bent down, kneeling on the ground, staring at the boy.

"Hey little guy," Mack whispered to him, slowly opening his arms.

The little boy practically jumped onto him, wrapping his arms around Mack's neck. Mack returned the gesture, holding the little boy--Jason?--against him.

I had never seen Mack look so soft or open. He kissed the boy's hair, holding him tightly in his grasp.

"I thought you went away like Katie…" the little boy whimpered, gripping Mack's neck. I watched curiously. Was this his little brother? Who was the lady?

The lady stood behind them, a few steps away, watching adoringly, her eyes so loving.

"I'm right here, Jay. I'll always be here," Mack vowed to the child, still holding him, his eyes turning red.

Mack eventually let go of him and stood up straight, his eyes focusing on the woman now. The little boy was now clenching Mack's hand.

"Mom…" he whispered, sending the biggest apology through just that one word.

The woman stepped forward, unsure of something, taking her time. So she was his mom...

"Mack," she whispered back, a motherly love and longing thick in her voice.

Mack stepped toward her, stopping right in front of her, totally forgetting that I was there. He ducked his head shamefully, his eyes breaking into emotions, water pooling in them.

His mother stepped forward, closing the space, her arms circling around him, pulling him tightly into her. "It's okay, honey, it's okay," she assured him, pulling her hand up to wipe his tears.

"I didn't mean to leave you all..." Mack pleaded for forgiveness, looking at her through tear-filled eyes.

"Don't cry, Mack!" the little boy told him from his side, tugging on Mack's hand. Mack looked down sadly at the boy, but managed a small smile.

"It's okay, Mack," his mom spoke softly, "We all know how much you were hurting... how much this has all effected you.... We are just glad you finally called. We've missed you so much. Haven't we, Jason?" His mom smiled reassuringly at him.

"We missed you, Mack!" the little boy agreed, smiling widely up at Mack.

The toothy smile reminded me of Johnny. It was funny how the little kids were so in love with some of the most dangerous guys. Though I supposed Mack was not dangerous at all before, when Jason had known him.

"I missed you guys, too," Mack whispered to them both, kissing his mom on the cheek lovingly.

"Who's your friend, Mack?" his mother asked him, finally noticing me sitting on the bench. Mack turned, his hand still in the little boy's, the other around his mother's waist. He smiled widely at me, though his eyes were still filled with intense emotions, tears falling down his cheeks.

"This is Alice...a very good friend of mine," Mack told them.

"And this is my mom, Mrs. Thompson, and my little buddy, Jason. He's Katie's little brother…" he informed me, smiling fondly at them.

I had never seen him like this... so sincere, soft, and emotional.

"It's nice to meet you, Alice. I'm glad Mack has made some new friends..." his mother said politely to me, obviously happy that I wasn't a gang member or a druggie.

I smiled kindly back at her. "It's nice to meet you too, Mrs. Thompson," I replied, getting up and stepping forward to shake her hand. She looked as happy as I was.

"Mack!" Jason whined, begging for attention. Mack grinned and let go of his mother, picking the little child up in his arms.

"Jay!" Mack whined playfully back, smiling fondly at him.

"Wanna come visit Katie with us?" he asked quietly, his eyebrows raised, hopeful.

Mack froze, his eyes guarded, his body stiffening.

Had he visited Katie's grave since he had joined the gang? Is that why he just became so unsure of everything?

"Katie…" Mack whispered brokenly, looking up at the sky passionately. He gulped back his emotions and nodded quickly, bobbing his head up in down at the little boy.

"Yeah, yeah, I'd like that, Jay," Mack answered back, kissing the boy's hair, like earlier.

"Well, if that's okay with you, Alice?" he asked, trying not to be rude by leaving me behind.

I smiled at him and rolled my eyes. "Of course it's okay. Jazz is picking me up soon, anyway. I'll see you later," I said, giving him a quick hug.

He was slowly letting his old life seep back into his new one. He was trying to bridge that gap, to be better. Trying to be the person that he was when he was with Katie. The person that he knew she wanted him to be.

I waved as they walked away, and then went to sit on the swings to wait for Jasper to pick me up and take me home.

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JPOV

I fidgeted around mindlessly with my tie. Did I have to wear this...? I thought warily, running my hand over the silky blue tie. Alice had said it was a perfect match, the shade of blue exactly same as my eyes. Weren't my eyes enough? Did I really need the tie...?

I looked down at myself, taking in everything that I was wearing; the black dress shirt and black slacks, my shiny new dress shoes, and of course, the light blue tie.

My blonde curls were in disarray as usual, and I was impressed that my head wound had healed up after two weeks.

Yes, two weeks. Our last two weeks in Forks were now coming to an end. Everything seemed to be going so smoothly that I couldn't help but smile.

Thankfully, Mack had come through, the bullet missing his heart. We had visited him in the hospital, and Alice had seen him after he had gotten out of there. He was getting stronger and stronger everyday. Alice had told me that he was making amends with his family, too.

Greg was in hiding, trying to avoid jail. In my opinion, it was only a matter of time. The moment someone saw his face, I was sure he'd be locked up. Still, I never left Alice's side, unless she was with one of the Cullens, or Mack. People I trusted.

The Cullens had forgiven me for the large amount of money I had taken from them. I tried to give it back, too, but Carlisle had insisted that Alice and I called it a graduation gift from them. They were just grateful that we had come out of everything safely. They wished that I would have told them what was happening so that they could have helped me save her the right way. And Emmett, especially, had wished that I would've let him in on the "fun," but I knew I couldn't have done that. I couldn't have risked her life, or theirs.

The other part of the Cullen family, though...well, they didn't take it so lightly. Mrs. Cullen and Mrs. Wright were about to fly down here and shoot me. I was pretty sure that her mom hated me even more, now.

Alice, miracle worker that she is, had somehow convinced them not to fly here. She told them that we would be in New York soon enough, but even Mr. Cullen had been concerned, suggesting that Alice came back earlier. She politely declined, saying that she wanted to graduate here. She was my life saver... first from the gang and Steve, and now from her parents, I thought sarcastically.

As for Nick, he had kept his promise to us. He had said a quick goodbye to Alice and me, making sure that she would be okay, and then headed back to Spencer's cottage as fast as he could, trying to shy away from the cops. He and Davis would leave for Texas in a few days.

Spencer had shown up a few hours after everything had happened. I could see that he was on the edge of ripping Alice away from me and dragging her back to the safety of New York, on the same side as their parents. But as he saw her safely snuggled up in my arms, a peaceful look on her face as she slept, he softened up.

"Tell her I'll call her... keep her safe, Jasper," he asked quietly, meeting my eyes intensely.

"I will. I promise," I told him. He didn't even wait for her to wake up. He picked Nick up and, wishing us the best, headed out. I had a feeling that he was trying hard to let her live her own new life, but I didn't blame him for still needing her. I loved her, too... I could understand.

Alice and me... we were both still healing from what had happened. We had hardly left each others' sides since that night. Alice was still a little jumpy around loud noises... I guess they reminded her of the gunshot. But I didn't think she noticed that she was doing it... or she just wouldn't admit it. She put on a brave face for me and everyone else, but I noticed her insecurity when she was alone for even a second. She'd wrap her arms around herself and look around anxiously if I left her for a second to go to the bathroom or something. Or she'd creep closer to Emmett or Edward for the minute that I was away from her.

It wasn't often that I'd go away from her, though. I was way too protective to leave her for too long. I knew that I was being kind of needy, but I think she needed that from me, too. My arms were almost constantly around her, or holding her hand. I was determined to keep her happy and safe. I would never let anything like that ever happen to her again.

"Jazz?" Alice called to me from my bathroom.

I looked up, away from my dresser mirror for a moment, her voice breaking my thoughts. I walked quickly over to the bathroom, peeking my head in uncertainly.

"Yes, darling?" I asked her, seeing her struggling to zipper up her dress. She had picked a dress exactly the same shade as my outfit. She wore a black, just above knee-length dress with a swirl of white-blue going through from one side to the other on its way up. We matched, and so did our clothes, I thought happily.

I walked into the bathroom, zippering the back of her dress for her. I then wrapped my arms around her waist, looking at us both in the mirror. She leaned her back into me, looking at us as well.

"You look beautiful," I murmured into her ear, my love pouring through my words. I watched the huge smile spread over her face.

"You are looking pretty dashing yourself," she sang back, tilting her head a bit to kiss my jaw.

I felt my stomach tighten, like the first time I had seen her...the first time she had touched me...the first time she had spoken to me. The way that she made me feel was beyond words. Constant. Never-changing. Just like our love for each other.

"Are you ready for this?" I questioned her. Was she ready for high school to be over? Was she ready for graduation? For our new life together?

A huge smile played on her lips as she bobbed her head up and down excitedly.

"Oh yeah!" she cheered happily. "Then we can hit the road and get to New York! Me and you and a whole apartment all to ourselves..." she mumbled off, turning around in my arms, her hands moving up my chest. Her smile was as sexy as ever.

She gazed lovingly up at me for a long moment. "Are you ready for this?" she asked me curiously, fiddling with my cover and then straightening my tie.

I groaned loudly, melodramatically.

I was more ready for this than anything. I had nailed the New York University scholarship, which they would announce tonight at the graduation. And Alice was all set for working at the family business again. She was still debating on taking some fashion classes on the side, but between encouragement from me, Spencer, and her parents, I was pretty sure that she was leaning toward taking them. Especially since her parents could make sure that she got into the right classes with the best teachers.

"You have no idea. I've been ready for this moment for months!" I complained, pressing my forehead to hers. She rolled her eyes, but her joking face changed to desire as my breath hit her, our breath mingling together.

"And I've also been waiting moments to kiss you, which is entirely too long..." I grumbled, moving my lips closer to hers.

Her breathing hitched as my mouth inched closer and closer to hers.

"Alice! Jasper! It's time to go!" Emmett yelled, coming into the bathroom, smirking at us.

If that man treasured his life, he had better move fast. I growled viciously at him, pulling my head back to glare at him. He winked and disappeared in a flash, knowing what I was going to do if he didn't.

Man... I think I might actually end up missing him, though. The big oaf...

"We'd better go," Alice said, pulling out of my arms, a mischievous look in her eyes.

"They can wait a minute," I slurred, pulling her back into me, looking at her longingly.

She wrapped her arms around my neck, meeting my needy gaze. She pushed herself onto her tip-toes, granting me what I needed. I could feel the love pouring through her as our lips connected us, making us one. The feeling of completion and love filling me was just like the first time we had kissed.

"Jasper! Alice! We're going to be late!" Carlisle called from downstairs.

"Maybe my parents were right... you are trouble..." Alice told me, breaking our kiss, her voice light and breathless.

I caught her lips in mine again, ignoring Carlisle. She pressed into me as we kissed, her lips perfect against mine.

"They can wait forever..." she whispered again, promising me that forever was ours. Just us two.

No more blood. No more pain. No fearful nights. No more of her having to look into my empty eyes, wishing for a better tomorrow. She was my better tomorrow.

It was all love, devotion, and adoration. It was all about looking forward to the next perfect day with my love. It would always be perfect day with her. It was just like the first perfect day when she had skipped into my life.

It had all started with that one bit of Hope as she touched my hand for the first time... and it would last for eternity.

Author's Note: MACK'S ALIVE. That's important, I suppose :P. Greg is still out and about, but friends with Mack. Who thought the word friend was in their vocabulary? Alice and Jasper are all set for their new lives in New York. Even though I'm not *sniff* it's like leaving part of my life behind, with Hope over.
How'd you like it? How did you like Hope? Leave us a review!
If you have any questions about anything in Hope I will take it and answer them in the Forum for Hope on my profile! Just write it in the review or send me a message. Also, just add me to Author's Alert to get the notice on the Sequel, I may write up an author's note to let you all know.
I'm so grateful for all of you reading and continuing to read Hope. I absolutely love you for it! Thanks so much for enjoying this adventure with me!
And finally, thanks to my amazzzzing beta, Lucy Alyce. Thanks for putting up with my million ongoing messages, for staying up all night editing the newest chapter, putting such esteem into this story and loving the characters and the story as much as me! And for also agreeing to continuing to beta for the sequel! I would have shot me by now but you still stay loyal and great! Thank you! xD *throws cinnamon buns at her*

Oh! And if you could mention your favourite quote or memory of Hope to your review, so I can put the top ones up on the Forum or Blog. Maybe make a poll!

Have a great day...or night!