Keifer's POV
The moment the plane touched down, I knew Switzerland was going to feel different.
Not because of the airport.
Not because of the cold.
Because for the first time in a long while, there was no immediate threat waiting for us at the other end.
No meetings.
No emergency calls.
No Kaizer.
No shadows from the past following Jay.
Just four days.
Four days where she and I could simply be… us.
I looked toward the window as we taxied toward the terminal.
Snow-covered mountains rose beyond the glass, their peaks disappearing into pale clouds.
Zermatt.
Jay was still looking outside.
Her eyes widened slightly.
"Keifer…"
I smiled.
"Yeah?"
"It's beautiful."
I followed her gaze.
It was.
But I found myself looking at her instead.
"You haven't even seen the town yet."
She turned toward me.
"And you're already staring at me."
"Can you blame me?"
Her cheeks immediately gained a faint pink tint.
There it was.
My favorite reaction.
She shook her head and turned back toward the window.
"You're impossible."
"Married to you."
"That doesn't explain anything."
"It explains everything."
She laughed quietly.
And that sound followed me all the way into the terminal.
Our luggage was collected quickly, and the moment we stepped outside, the cold hit us.
Jay immediately pulled her coat closer around herself.
I noticed.
Without saying anything, I adjusted the scarf around her neck properly.
"You're going to freeze."
"I'm fine."
"You always say that."
"And I usually am."
I raised an eyebrow.
She smiled innocently.
I knew that smile.
Trouble disguised as confidence.
We made our way toward the car waiting for us.
The drive toward Zermatt was breathtaking.
Snow-covered slopes stretched into the distance. Tiny villages appeared between mountains, their rooftops dusted white.
Jay practically pressed herself against the window.
"Look!"
"I'm looking."
"No, there!"
She pointed excitedly toward a cluster of wooden houses.
I smiled.
"I see it."
She continued pointing at everything.
The mountains.
The snow.
The little bridges.
The distant cable cars.
At one point, she suddenly went quiet.
I glanced at her.
"What happened?"
"Nothing."
"You went quiet."
She smiled softly.
"I'm just realizing this is real."
I reached across the space between us and took her hand.
"It is."
She squeezed my fingers.
And for a few minutes, neither of us said anything.
When we finally reached the hotel, Jay stepped out of the car and stared upward.
The building was beautiful, surrounded by snow-covered paths and warm lights glowing through the windows.
She looked at me.
"Four days?"
"Four days."
"And Paris after that?"
"Three more."
She smiled.
"That sounds like an actual vacation."
"It is."
"No work?"
"No work."
"No Section E?"
"Absolutely no Section E."
She laughed.
"That might be the best part."
"Hey."
"You know I love them."
"I know."
I took her suitcase before she could reach for it.
She frowned.
"I can carry that."
"I know."
"Then why—"
"Because I want to."
She stopped arguing.
Inside, the warmth immediately wrapped around us.
The lobby smelled faintly of wood and cinnamon.
Jay looked around, taking everything in.
I watched her.
The relaxed expression.
The curiosity.
The absence of fear.
For years, she had carried too much.
And now she was standing in Switzerland beside me, smiling at snow-covered mountains as though the world had finally decided to give her a quiet chapter.
I wanted to protect that.
Not because she couldn't protect herself.
Because she deserved to rest.
We reached our room.
Jay opened the door first.
Then froze.
A large window overlooked the mountains.
Snow covered the rooftops below.
The afternoon sunlight painted everything gold.
She slowly stepped inside.
"Keifer…"
I came up behind her.
"Like it?"
She nodded.
"I love it."
I smiled.
"Good."
She turned toward me.
"Thank you."
"For what?"
"For bringing me here."
I shook my head.
"You don't have to thank me."
She looked at me for a moment.
Then quietly said, "I still want to."
I reached for her hand.
"Then you're welcome."
She leaned against my shoulder.
Outside, the mountains stood completely still.
For once, so did everything inside my head.
No past.
No threats.
No secrets.
Just Jay.
Just me.
And four days waiting ahead of us.
I looked out at the snowy landscape.
Maybe this trip wasn't about escaping everything we'd been through.
Maybe it was about finally realizing that we'd survived it.
Together.
And for the first time in years, I wasn't waiting for something terrible to happen.
I was simply looking forward to tomorrow.
We barely had time to put our bags down before Jay was already standing by the window again.
I had never seen anyone become this fascinated by snow.
She looked outside for another few seconds before turning around.
"Can we go outside?"
I blinked.
"We just arrived."
"I know."
"You're tired."
"I'm not."
"You were half asleep on the flight."
"That was different."
"How?"
"I was on a plane."
I stared at her.
She stared back.
Then she smiled.
I sighed.
"Fine."
Her face immediately lit up.
"But you're wearing another layer."
"I have a coat."
"Another one."
"Keifer."
"Jay."
She crossed her arms.
"You're bossy."
"And you married me anyway."
She tried not to smile.
Failed.
A few minutes later, we were walking through the snowy streets of Zermatt.
The cold air hit my face immediately, but Jay seemed completely unaffected by it now.
She walked slowly, looking at everything.
Wooden chalets.
Small shops.
Warm lights.
People walking around in winter clothes.
And, of course, snow.
She reached down and picked up a little handful.
I immediately knew what was coming.
"Don't."
She looked at me innocently.
"I didn't do anything."
"You're holding snow."
"So?"
"You're thinking about throwing it."
"I would never."
I narrowed my eyes.
She smiled.
Then threw it.
It hit my shoulder.
I stared at her.
She froze.
"Jay."
She started laughing.
"You should've seen your face!"
I scooped up some snow.
Her laughter stopped.
"Keifer…"
I took one step toward her.
"No."
Another.
"Don't."
Another.
She turned and ran.
I laughed and followed.
"Come back here!"
"Never!"
She ran several steps before slipping slightly.
I immediately caught up and steadied her by the arm.
"You okay?"
She nodded, laughing.
"I'm fine."
I looked at her carefully.
"Careful."
"I know."
She looked down at the snow beneath her boots.
Then back at me.
"Thank you."
I released her arm once I knew she was steady.
"Anytime."
We continued walking.
This time, she stayed closer.
A little later, we stopped at a small café.
The warmth inside was perfect after the cold outside.
Jay immediately rubbed her hands together.
I pulled out her chair.
She sat down and looked through the menu.
"What are you getting?"
"I don't know."
"You've been staring at the menu for five minutes."
"Because everything looks good."
I glanced at the menu.
"Hot chocolate."
Her eyes lifted.
"With marshmallows?"
"Obviously."
She smiled.
"Then that's what I'm getting."
We ordered hot chocolate and something warm to eat.
While we waited, Jay rested her chin on her hand.
"This still feels unreal."
I knew exactly what she meant.
Switzerland.
The quiet.
The freedom.
Everything that had happened before this.
"You know," I said, "you don't have to keep thinking about what happened back there."
She looked at me.
"I know."
"But?"
She looked down at the table.
"Sometimes I still wonder how different things would've been if everything hadn't happened."
I was quiet for a moment.
"So do I."
She looked back at me.
"But we're here now," I continued. "That's what matters."
Her expression softened.
"You really believe that?"
"I do."
Our drinks arrived.
She wrapped both hands around her cup.
The steam rose between us.
Then she smiled.
"Okay."
"Okay?"
"I'm going to enjoy Switzerland."
I smiled.
"Good."
"And Paris."
"Definitely."
"And I'm not thinking about anything else."
"Excellent."
She took a sip.
Then immediately made a tiny face because it was hotter than expected.
I laughed.
"You never learn."
She glared at me.
"Don't."
I pushed a glass of water toward her.
"Drink."
She did.
Then muttered, "You're enjoying this."
"Maybe a little."
She smiled despite herself.
By late afternoon, we were walking again.
The mountains had begun changing color as the sun lowered.
Jay stopped at a viewpoint.
For a while, she said nothing.
I stood beside her.
She slipped her hand into mine.
I looked down.
She wasn't looking at me.
She was looking at the mountains.
But her fingers tightened around mine.
And somehow, that small gesture said enough.
I squeezed her hand.
No jokes this time.
No teasing.
Just quiet.
She leaned slightly against my shoulder.
"Keifer?"
"Hmm?"
"Promise me something."
I turned toward her.
"What?"
"That whatever happens after this… we don't forget moments like this."
I looked at her.
"I won't."
She smiled.
"And you?"
"I promise."
The wind moved through the trees.
Snow drifted gently from a nearby rooftop.
Jay looked back toward the mountains.
And I realized something.
For years, I'd been promising to protect her from the next danger.
From the next enemy.
From the next mistake.
But standing there in Switzerland, I wanted to promise her something different.
Not just that I'd protect her.
That I'd be there for the ordinary days too.
The quiet mornings.
The ridiculous arguments.
The bad jokes.
The long drives.
The moments where nothing happened at all.
Because those were the moments we had almost lost.
And now that we finally had them—
I wasn't going to take them for granted.
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