I know this is taking forever. Hopefully this helps you all a little bit!

I don't know why I'm so into the slow burn.

A thunderstorm exploded overhead. Bella jumped. Her eyes darted to the sky and her hand absentmindedly drifted to her shoulder, feeling the beginnings of her scar. More lightning flashed. Bella shook her head and tried to dispel her anxiety. Charlie whined, and Bella flexed her injured hand. It had been a few hours, and she was tired of waiting. Years of pretending to be human had made her grow soft. She was so used to not using her powers that some days she almost forgot she was a God. Almost. She made a tight fist and the last of the bones snapped back into place. Bella marveled at how hard the skin of the vampires was. They had evolved beautifully over the millennia. Lightning streaked across the sky again and Bella grimaced. She knew her father didn't have that kind of power anymore, but there was a long-buried memory that kept trying to surface.

Charlie rose to his feet. He cocked his head to the side, whined a little, then burst into the woods amid a flurry of happy barks. Bella leaned on her good hand, gazing into the woods. Charlie came out, followed by a man she recognized, if only in spirit.

Bella sighed dramatically. "Okay, can we just-" she started again. "Did you all decide to just join Hollywood?" A laugh, inhuman even to her ears, burst unbidden from her lips. "If I'd known, I would have joined in too! Seriously, didn't you just wrap up a ten-year series?" Bella's uncle smiled and spread his hands wide. He spun around, a sly smile on his face as he showed off his suit. "What do they call you, RDJ?"

Hades smiled and rubbed his goatee. "Look little one, if you have your entire domain run by a competent crew and guided by your lovely guard dog," he pet Charlie's head absentmindedly," then you have some freedom to live whatever life you want." Hades stepped forward and hugged his niece. "How are you? Are you doing well?"

"The king of the Underworld asking about me? How strange." Hades came closer, and he and Bella clasped hands for a moment before she threw her arms around him. "I am truly glad to see you," she breathed into her Uncle's neck, then took a step back. "How are things? It's been too long, but I assume you didn't come to see me just to catch up?"

Hades gently pressed Bella's shoulder through her shirt. He felt the top of her scar where it began, but he didn't comment on it. "I wanted to see you, niece. It's been too long." Hades looked around, taking in where they were. He laughed heartily. "You have no idea how amused I was to realize you were on the Olympic Peninsula."

"I know. I want to be at home, even if I can't." Bella laughed, before getting serious. "How did you find me? Why are you here?"

"There are rumblings. Zeus is reaching the end of his patience. He is tired of searching for you. Your brother has been searching for years."

Bella nodded. This wasn't surprising to her, though there was something she worried about. "How did you find me?"

"Don't worry, your father still can't find you. Cerberus is connected to his son." Charlie barked gently. "I have been very careful to respect your life in hiding. I didn't want to take risks I didn't need to, but it seemed time. Apollo has failed, and Zeus is growing increasingly impatient." Hades took Bella's hand in his own. "Artemis, you have always been my favorite. If this comes to blows though, I have to protect myself and mine. I care for you deeply, but I cannot sacrifice myself if this feud comes down to choosing sides. I've already done more for you than I should have. I regret nothing, but the best I can do here is warn you."

"I understand uncle. Thank you."

He took her hand in both of his own, holding it tightly. "Be careful, Artemis. I know you have been on the run, but just know that I truly do care for you. I take solace in knowing that you are out in the world and that you are safe."

Bella hugged her uncle close. It had been centuries since she had seen him, and she knew realistically it could be centuries more. "You are too good to me." Bella leaned back and looked at her uncle. She wondered how long it would be before he needed to trade forms. "No man ever steps in the same river twice."

Hades beamed back at her and finished the line, "For it's not the same river and he's not the same man." Hades gave her one more quick hug. "You have grown beyond my expectations. Stay safe." Hades turned and disappeared into the woods without another word. Bella watched him go. The scar on her back itched like it knew danger was coming soon. Bella took a deep breath. As long as the scar was there, the world was safe from her father.

It was finally Saturday. Bella had forgotten how being human was. She loved living a 'normal' life, and truly needed to do so to survive. That didn't mean that making sure she didn't let on how old she was and tolerating a new pack of wolves wasn't exhausting. The wolves were an exciting addition, to be sure, but she was hoping to relax here in Forks. Instead, she had found vampires, shifters, and her father was still hunting her. Normal was outside her purview, but that didn't mean pretending wasn't fun. Bella jogged through the woods with Charlie, enjoying time alone. He whined, and she knew he was hoping she would join him in her canine form. He loved sharing a mental link and having her by his side in a way she hadn't been before. Bella considered it but was pulled from the thought by a gentle noise in the woods.

Bella stood up straight, folded her arms, and without turning around said, "I know you're there, Alice."

An annoyed huff came from behind Bella. "I was trying to sneak up on you."

Bella turned quickly, catching Alice by surprise. "You thought you could sneak up on me? I made you."

"I wish you would quit saying that like that."

"What?"

"That you made me," Alice said with distaste. "It's weird."

"But it's true," Bella laughed. "With the power of the old gods, I created your kind."

"You're disgusting."

Bella winked and said, "Only some days." Alice grimaced again. "What are you doing out here?"

"Hunting you."

"Hunting me?"

"My new goal is to sneak up on you. It feels like it could be fun." Bella laughed, and Alice continued. "I also came out here to warn you. Edward is searching for you. He wants to know how you know his real name."

"Oh, that's easy. I knew him when he was alive." Bella folded her arms and decided not to explain that. Instead, she said, "when's the last time you had a piggyback ride?"

"Excuse me?"

"You know, you climb on someone's back and they carry you around. Charlie and I are out for a run, and you're just not quite as fast as we are." Bella's brow furrowed. "I would like you to come with us though. What do you say?"

Bella reached for Alice's hand. With a smile and a "fine," Alice took it. Bella grabbed Alice's hand tightly and slung the smaller woman quickly up onto her back. Alice laughed, a high, beautiful sound that had Bella smiling as her heartbeat a staccato beat within her chest. Alice wrapped her arms around Bella and tucked her face close into Bella's shoulder. "You smell good," Alice murmured quietly into Bella's shoulder.

Bella's heart beat faster, and she felt Alice smile into her neck. "I try, you know?" Bella put a gentle hand on Alice's forearm. "I even shower sometimes." Alice laughed close to Bella's ear. Bella put her hands under Alice's legs and took off through the woods. Charlie ran alongside her, tongue lolling and barking happily. He dodged the trees next to Bella, jumping over high roots and dodging low branches. Alice's high laugh escaped her, left behind in the wake of their speed. Small creatures skittered out of the way as fast as they could. The land started to slope steadily upwards, but Charlie and Bella didn't miss a single step. Suddenly they were on a mountain, and it was no longer sloping upwards. Instead, the land around them was sharp trails and steep faces. That didn't deter Bella. She leaped from one rock ledge to another, clearing huge jumps and hauling herself up like weight was no object. Alice held tighter as the progressively colder air ghosted across her cool skin. Up here there was less cloud cover, so the occasional ray of sun lit up her skin. Bella laughed, enjoying the physical exertion, and Alice felt the sound warm her chest and stay there.

Bella finally seemed to reach her destination. She paused, looking out over the Olympic Peninsula from the top of the mountain. Alice didn't let go, and Bella didn't ask her to. "Here we are. Seven thousand, nine hundred and eighty feet above sea level. Isn't it beautiful?" Alice looked out at the world over Bella's shoulder. The entire Olympic peninsula was spread out before them. Much of it was obscured by clouds, but it was still breathtaking. Alice had never been up this mountain before.

"It's breathtaking." Alice loosened her grip on Bella, and Bella let go. Alice landed lightly on the ground. She stepped in front of Bella and took in the cool air. She closed her eyes and just took in the world around her. "I can't believe I've never thought to come up here."

Bella drew even with Alice. "I come up here to think sometimes. Do you know why I like it so much?"

"No, why?"

Bella smiled. It was soft but somehow sad. "This is Mount Olympus."

A soft laugh escaped Alice. "You come to Mount Olympus."

"It's where I'm supposed to be, so might as well find one. Isn't that ironic?" Bella's smile didn't quite reach her eyes.

Alice reached out tentatively for Bella's hand. Bella took it, and Alice tried to quell the warm feeling Bella gave her. "I think it's sweet. Do you want to tell me about it?"

Bella smiled at Alice but shook her head. "Maybe another time. I just want to enjoy my time with you right now." Bella's smile grew, and Alice looked away bashfully."

"Okay, well then, I have a question. How do you know Edward?"

"You'll love this. Don't tell him though. I really enjoy torturing him." Alice made a, 'my lips are sealed' gesture, and Bella continued as they started to walk down a path. "Gods live forever for a few different reasons. You can, of course, kill a god, but we don't die naturally. The reason for that is essentially nectar and ambrosia. We survive on the food of the gods. In the absence of that, we have two options. First, we can just die. I didn't feel like doing that." Bella squeezed Alice's hand, and Alice smiled. "Second, we can survive on adoration alone. This was quite easy to do in the old days. We were worshipped, sacrifices were made, and we remained healthy. For me, as an outcast of the Gods, I have to find that love elsewhere. I've found that there are ways to do this. I can make close friends, which is hard to do, or I can perform miracles."

Bella stopped walking as they reached the edge of a cliff. "I travel from place to place if I feel like I'm weakening and perform these miracles. Sometimes I save people from crimes. Sometimes I do something amazing and unexplainable. I have to let people see me and know that I did it, so they spend the rest of their lives being thankful for me and what I've done. Sometimes I go through plague-stricken areas and I heal people. Nothing insidious or too public." Alice waited patiently, wondering how this related to Edward. "In 1918, I was in Chicago. The influenza spread like wildfire. People didn't know what they know now about preventing diseases and caring for the sick. I saved the young. I wanted to give them a chance at life. I met young Edward Anthony Masen. I posed as a nurse, but I could only save a few people to maintain my secrecy. After Masen's parents passed, I came back to save him, but he was gone. I didn't know where he had gone or why. I assumed he had died, to be honest. Imagine my surprise when he showed up at my school!"

"That's hilarious!" Bella arched an eyebrow at Alice. "I mean, not hilarious. Weird? Unlikely?" Alice shrugged. "I don't know how he'll feel about that, knowing that he could have been saved and lived a human life. He's happier with Jasper, but it took him a long time to get here. Well, at least you can tell him he has a soul and an afterlife!" A smile lit Alice's face back up as she remembered she had good news for Edward.

Bella looked at Alice's bright smile, their hands joined together, and she couldn't stop herself. She leaned forward and caught Alice quickly by the chin. She kissed Alice quickly, shyly, then leaned back to look at her. Alice's eyes were still closed, and Bella wondered if she had misread the situation. Alice finally breathed out and opened her bright golden eyes to meet Bella's silver ones. Alice smiled again. She looked dazed, then breathed out one word, "Thanks."

Bella threw back her head and laughed loudly. It echoed back to them from around the mountains. Charlie jumped around in the snow, happy at the sound. Bella leaned forward and caught Alice's lips with her own again. Alice put her arms gently around Bella's shoulders, leaning into the kiss. Bella leaned back just far enough to look at Alice, and simply said, "You're welcome." She kissed Alice once more, and they spent the rest of the afternoon atop the mountain, hand in hand, watching the sun go down over the Mount Olympus peak.

Here we go! Finally, Bellice, answering of the Masen question, and more!

Reviews are always welcome!