First of all, I want to thank TFN for running
the Non-Canon Contest, for which this was written.
I also want to thank a bunch of other people, so bear
with me...

annaharding, for being my awesome beta and also, my
friend. You were a great help!

Thank you to the readers and voters of the NC Contest.
This little tale won SEVEN awards, including 2nd Place Public
Vote and 1st Place Judges Vote! Madness! Thank you to the
everyone involved in the running of the contest, too. You're
all amazing.

Some of you will know this was inspired by a video on
Facebook. If you want to see it, head over to my author group
CiaraShayee's Subconscious. I've linked it there :)

~ oOo ~

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: Only the new characters are mine. The rest are Stephenie Meyer's.

~ 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 kilometres 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 kilometre. 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 smouldered 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 heart-breaking."

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 kilometre 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 leukaemia, 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 leukaemia 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 leukaemia 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 kilometres, 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 kilometre 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 leukaemia. 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 'OORAH' 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 honourable 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 kilometres 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 smouldering 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.

This is only half of the original entry because I'm expanding the second half, so if you can bear to hang on a few days, I'll have that posted hopefully early next week :)

Once I've wrapped all my other projects, this will be near the top of my list to expand further.

xo