04 Last

by Lynnie Purcell

  “Maybe,” he said.

  “There’s no ‘maybe,’” I said. “Would you or would you not kill me if I turned in to a monster?”

  “Define ‘monster,’” Daniel said.

  “You know, ‘evil-scary-rawr!’” I said.

  Daniel pulled me to my feet. He laughed at my description.

  “I’m going to need a better definition than that,” Daniel replied.

  Arguing over the definition, and his inability to answer a simple question, we made our slow way back to the others. Our hands were linked – a link that would never break. Our argument and our competitiveness filled the air between us.

  For once, I was not a girl destined to be the most powerful Watcher in the world, and he was not the boy who would turn in to a Nightstalker. There were no questions about our future or about my abilities. We were just two people crazy in love.

  We just were.

  Epilogue

  When everyone who was leaving had left the camp, Ellen made an announcement. We were all gathered around her. Alex and Reaper were holding hands; they had finished their conversation in the woods. Alex was happier than I had seen her since I had been reunited with them in New York. The others were around us, enjoying the party that was still raging.

  Ellen stood up and held her hands out to Sam. He stood as well. Their thoughts were swirling with love and emotional fervor. I knew her announcement was no small thing.

  “Sam and I decided that we would like to get married soon…” Ellen said. “So, I’ve decided we’re going to have a service today. Naomi will be officiating. I want you all to be there.”

  “Naomi isn’t a preacher,” I said.

  “I got my license online,” Naomi corrected me.

  “Don’t you want to get married somewhere more romantic?” I asked.

  Ellen shrugged.

  “I just want to get married wherever Sam is,” Ellen said.

  Sam beamed at her.

  “Awww…” I said. “But seriously, what about France?”

  “France?” Ellen asked Sam.

  “Paris would be amazing. It is the city of love, after all,” Sam replied.

  “I know just the place,” Daniel replied. “If that’s what you want.”

  Sam and Ellen exchanged a look that said volumes. Getting married in France would more than exceed their expectations. It was perfect. They nodded at us, their expressions excited. I was just as excited. I was eager to see Ellen married and settled. I was eager to know she would be okay.

  I held out my hands to my family. They all took my hands without hesitation. They were ready to leave the jungle; they were ready to be somewhere with running water and real food. After Daniel shared the location with Sara and Shawn, the others closest to us took their hands. I flashed in to the world of darkness as easily as breathing.

  When we came back out in to the light, we were in a city I had never seen before. The buildings were a mixture of old and new. There was history, a magnetic quality to the feeling of the city. The Eiffel Tower was in the distance. Our area of town was full of condos and penthouses. There were storm clouds surrounding the city, but I knew Margaret would keep them at bay. She would not let the rain ruin the impending wedding. We had touched down on the top of a large building. It was the roof of an apartment. The interior of the apartment was elegant and full of warm colors and rich textures. I thought I recognized the decorator. The others looked around the apartment curiously. Beatrice and Han looked less curious. They had seen the building before.

  “I forgot you keep a place in Paris,” Beatrice said to Daniel when we landed.

  Daniel looked at me, expecting I would chastise him for not telling me about the apartment. I had bigger issues in mind. I contemplated the barren roof for a moment. Fiona’s talent circled through my mind, and I realized it was exactly what we needed. Paris was covered in grey. We needed color. I focused then felt a strange sensation of growth move through my body. All at once, the roof exploded in to color. I urged the flowers to grow everywhere, even up the tables near the door and along the railing separating the edge from the long fall down. Small trees appeared out of nothing and soon we were standing in a garden, instead of on a roof. I created an archway near the edge of the roof – the perfect spot to get married. Ellen’s eyes grew large at the paradise I had created for her.

  Alex was less impressed with the garden. She was serious about the situation facing us. She wasn’t going to let them have a wedding without it being spectacular. Plans, plotting and a desire to have everything perfect ran through her head.

  “Showers are in order for everyone,” Alex said. “No smelling bad at the wedding. Margaret…we need to go shopping. We need wedding clothes…we need food…and a cake! Definitely a cake!”

  Alex grabbed Margaret and Ellen’s hands and forced them inside to plot shopping and other nefarious deeds of the occasion. Sam shrugged at me, a smile on his face, and followed them inside. Naomi took Sam’s arm and the pair started talking. I knew Naomi would keep him occupied while the others shopped. I also knew that Alex would create a true wedding for them. She would make the joining of our families as perfect as possible. Reaper and the others were content to settle on the outside and wait for the wedding to start. We all sat and talked, until Alex came back from shopping and ordered us all to take showers.

  It didn’t take them – Alex – very long to get things in order; an hour at the most. Then, it was time.

  Daniel and Reaper stood with Sam. Naomi stood next to Sam. I waited inside with Ellen and Alex. We had showered and smelled better than we had in days. It felt good to be clean. Better than I thought it could ever feel. I had washed away more than the dirt. I had washed away some of the hurt of the past. I had washed away the immediacy of the memories.

  Ellen held on to my arm as we waited. I heard the sound of the baby inside her. I took comfort in the fast heartbeat that filled my ears. Ellen’s thoughts were a whirlwind of emotion. None of the emotion doubted her marriage to Sam. Most of it was worry for Alex and me. She wanted to know that we would be okay. She wanted to know that we were not going to go our separate ways and never see each other. She worried the marriage would put distance between us.

  “We’re going to be fine, Mom,” I said. “And I promise to come visit you as often as you can stand.”

  Ellen smiled at my words.

  “That’s everyday…” she said.

  “Then every single day,” I promised. “Until you get sick of me.”

  “Never!” she exclaimed.

  I smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Then, Margaret opened the door to the outside. Moira and King played a wedding march for us on guitar and violin. The song was perfect and sweet. I walked Ellen down the aisle then stood next to her. Alex stood on my other side. Moira and King stopped their playing, and Naomi smiled at us. The others in the crowd watched with goofy smiles on their faces.

  “We’re gathered here today to marry off Sam and Ellen,” Naomi said. “Their love will bind them and carry them through their years together. Their love will join their families and create a unity that builds up a new family with all of us…”

  My eyes shifted to Daniel as she spoke. He was staring at me with a warm expression on his face. Her words flooded over me, and I felt as if she was talking to Daniel and me, instead of Ellen and Sam. Her words created a spark of understanding between Daniel and me.

  Naomi went through her whole speech, throwing in personal touches. She was emotional at times, but said all the perfect things to give Ellen and Sam a proper sendoff in to marriage. Finally, they got to their vows. Daniel had rings for them. I didn’t know where he got them, but they glittered in the light as Ellen and Sam put them on. They fit perfectly. Then, their vows were done. Naomi pronounced them husband and wife. The others cheered as she presented them as Mr. and Mrs. Lawson. I cheered along with my friends, finally taking my eyes off Daniel’s.

  The celebration lasted well in to the night. The others were full o
f warmth as they celebrated Sam and Ellen’s love, as well as the fall of Marcus. It was a night complete with happiness and good cheer. I took in their warmth happily. I was a sponge for the love.

  At one point, I went outside, to catch a breath of air and collect my thoughts. I was happy for Ellen, but her marriage was strange. Ellen and I were finally no longer alone. We had come so far during our journey; so much had happened since we had moved to King’s Cross. It would take awhile to come to terms with the change. It would take time to come to terms with the idea of peace. I would have to redefine myself in many ways. Such redefinition was not easy.

  I leaned against the railing, which I had covered in flowers as well, and looked out at the sparkling lights of the city. There was no denying the charm of the city. It was breathtaking, even at a distance. It reminded me of the city underground – Farrah’s city. But there was also darkness. The beauty and darkness combined resonated.

  The city was still recovering from the violence, chaos and fear of the past week. People were trying to build back up normalcy after encountering such a strange, otherworldly turn of events. People were suffering; they were searching for relief from the deaths they had witnessed. They mourned. It would take time to fix everything. I realized that I wanted to be part of the repairs. I wanted to help where I could. My task of helping people had not died with Marcus. It was a task that would never leave me.

  Daniel did not leave me to my pensiveness for long.

  “Why the scowl?” Daniel asked lightly, leaning against the railing as well.

  He clasped his hands together and looked at me. He looked amazingly handsome in the suit Alex had bought for him. More than that, he was stunning. I felt my heart flutter at the sight of him. Seeing him was a reminder than not all things were regret, pain and suffering. I would step through the regret of the past and find a new beginning. We would move on and find light…because that’s what people did.

  “Just thinking about…everything,” I said. “Everything changes…”

  “Eventually,” Daniel agreed.

  We looked out over the city for a short moment.

  “Whatever happened to Serenity?” I asked. “She wasn’t at camp.”

  “She went to search out Odette,” Daniel replied. “Ileana told me. Serenity said she wanted answers. Odette shouldn’t have just allowed the council to die. It gave Marcus the confidence to move on and attack people…to draw the sword out.”

  “If anyone can find Odette…it would be Serenity,” I said.

  “Yes,” Daniel agreed.

  “And Anna? Did you see her leave?” I asked.

  “Sara took Anna and her boyfriend to Spain, I think,” Daniel said. “They seemed happy enough.”

  “Oh…good,” I replied.

  “Ellen and Sam are going to stay here in my place for a while,” Daniel added. “I thought they would like to honeymoon in France.”

  “Who wouldn’t?” I asked.

  “We’re newlyweds, too, remember?” Daniel teased. “Where would you like to honeymoon?”

  “Honestly?” I asked.

  “Of course.”

  “Our house…in King’s Cross. I just want peace and quiet...for a while.”

  “I think that’s perfect,” Daniel replied. “Tomorrow…we go home.”

  I turned to him, my eyes bright with the idea. Home…

  I smiled at him. The smile radiated through my whole body. I allowed for the happiness to drown out everything else. There was only this moment. Daniel looked surprised for a moment then his eyes changed to awareness; it was as if he had seen this moment. Maybe he had…I didn’t ask.

  I held out my hand, and he took it. Together, we walked inside to join our family in a celebration of life. I knew it was a celebration that would continue for as long as we were alive.

  The sky rippled angrily with dark thunderheads as we stepped out of the darkness in-between Paris, France and King’s Cross, North Carolina. The wind was bitter and cold. I felt snow in our future. It would reach us soon.

  My gothic-style white house stood stark against the darkness swirling around the town. I didn’t care who saw us as I landed us on the lawn. I didn’t care if they talked. No one could argue my right to be at the house with Daniel. The windows were dark, and the house still held the feeling of abandonment, but the feeling was different. We were coming home.

  Daniel and I held hands as we stepped up the lawn and over to the screened-in front porch. We were fresh from the wedding celebration; we were still wearing out wedding clothes. The celebration had lasted all night and well in to the morning. People had still been celebrating when we left. Ellen and Sam had disappeared in to the bedroom and hadn’t come out to say ‘goodbye.’ I didn’t blame them. We would be seeing them again soon enough. Our separation was not a permanent one.

  Han and Beatrice were to follow our path to King’s Cross, along with Reaper, Alex and the rest of the Saints. Sara and Shawn had been preparing to bring them all to the remnants of Han and Beatrice’s house as Daniel and I had left. The kids would be staying with Han and Beatrice as well...for a little while. It had been decided over the course of the night that the kids would split their time between Santa Monica and King’s Cross. Beatrice had decided it was time the kids start to learn something more than pick pocketing and sneaking. They were to get a proper education; they would also get a proper family. Spider didn’t seem to care for the idea of a proper education, but he didn’t seem to mind being close to Daniel. I knew Han and Beatrice would be interested to see how Spider differed from his brother. I knew Spider’s intellect would give them a run for their money.

  My friends and family on my mind, Daniel and I crossed the creaky front porch. Our memories of our first kiss and many conversations on the wind-swept swing haunted us as we walked. I felt, for the first time, how Ellen must have felt on returning to the house, after so long away from it. The memories prepared us for what we would find inside. This time, however, we had walked in on a place to live.

  Daniel opened the door and I saw something I had not been expecting after our last visit. The house was clean; Ellen and Sam’s mess had disappeared. More, there was different furniture, furniture that reflected his elegant style. Even the paint was a different color. New pictures were on the wall; pictures that included Daniel’s family as well as mine. The picture near the kitchen was back on the wall. The guitar Daniel had bought me stood next to the door. Its rich mahogany color spoke to me – it begged to be played. The armor the historian had made for me hung in the hall off my grandfather’s study. Daniel’s armor hung next to it. My sword was on a placeholder in the living room. The house was no longer a wrapper kingdom for Sam and Ellen’s brief time living together. The house was a place that we could start making our own future…together.

  “Margaret and Jackson fixed it up for me while you were asleep,” Daniel said, with a small smile.

  “Oh!” I said. “I wish I could have thanked them before they left…”

  Margaret and Jackson had also been looking forward to privacy. They wanted time that was their own. They had left the party early to find it. I didn’t blame them for wanting a break. It was only fair, after all the help that had given us. I knew they would be back. They always came back, according to Daniel.

  “What do you think?” Daniel asked.

  His emotion was in his eyes. He was worried I wouldn’t like the changes to a house I had grown to love so much. He was wrong to worry.

  “I love it,” I said.

  I took hold of his coat and pulled him close. He smiled his boyish smile, his eyes sparkling with his desire. His bright eyes were a contrast to his snowy skin; a piece of hair fell across his forehead, obscuring the perfection of his skin. His features had not changed since I had met him, but the way I viewed him had changed completely. We had grown together, in ways no one else could truly understand. Everything had changed…except for our love.

  I kissed him passionately, one kiss of many in our new ho
me. Through our kiss, I promised him forever. I promised him an eternity of sitting on the porch and arguments over nothing. He knew I would keep my promise. I always did.

  Then, I turned to shut the door, to keep the neighbors who were spying on us from seeing too much. Despite the dark thunderheads circling dangerously overhead, and the past that still haunted us through the future, I had never been happier.

  I intended to stay that way.