Dear Journal,

My name is Lily Morgan Gold. I'm 15. I suppose the reason why I'm writing in a journal is because my therapist, Dr. Hopper, suggested that I should. He said that my hobby to write would be an excellent form of therapy. So, where do I even begin? I suppose like every story I should start at the beginning.

I live in a small provincial town called Storybrooke, which if you ask me sounds an awful lot like the word 'Storybook' but that could just be a mere coincidence. I may have grown up in this town but now it feels like I have finally outgrown it. It's boring. The people are lame with no prospects of ever changing. I want things to change. I want to change. I want to become a writer. I want to go back to New York City. I can't even remember the reason why we moved away. I suppose it was because both of my parent's families live here and they just wanted to be closer to them, but I believe the real reason why we moved away from New York was because I was haunted by a persistent dream that made me delusional to the point that I had to run away to this place. Hence, the therapy sessions.

That's me. The runner. Apparently that's what I'm really good at because that's what I'm known for. Especially in this town. And where I do I find myself running to? The woods. Storybrooke forest to be precise. There's something about these woods that I find myself going back to. I have blurred memories of my grandmother and Neal Nolan being there and... that's just it. Blurred memories. No explanations. I pride myself on having an acute memory but the fact that I can't remember is strange and it bothers me, like a needle piercing my mind. For some reason, both mother and father forbid me to go there. With the entire forest shrouded in such forbidden mystery and without so much as an explanation, it's no wonder why my own curiosity leads me back there. Huh, I suppose this town isn't all that boring.

This town… Some days its blandness is just maddening, but most days I find myself curious over the ever subtle but peculiar happenings going on around here. Sometimes I question, 'Am I the only one that sees this?'. When the reply to my line of questioning is unsatisfactory or non-existent, I mute myself and concede to the fact that perhaps I am just that crazy. Perhaps it is just me, but I've noticed that there are particular adults in this town that haven't aged a day since we moved to Storybrooke. There's even this phospherous glow about them that seems unnatural, including my own parents. And then there's also the coincidental peculiarity of names of certain citizens in town to particular fairytale characters I've read in books from mother's library. Let's take, for example, the peculiarity of my own father's name.

His full name is Rumplestiltskin Gold. Like… what? Who in the right mind would ever name their child with that combination of fantasy names? I remember confronting my father once about this very topic and he quickly dismissed me saying that his name change was due to the identity protection he was under while we lived in New York. It's a lie. I just know it is. It just doesn't make any sense. When I inquired about the relocation program further, like 'why did we need to move away to begin with?' he distanced himself from me and said, 'not to worry myself over it' and that 'it was all in the past.' Whenever I tried to ask my mother this question she would always blush and then redirect me back to father. It's infuriating to get answers from either of them. Like squeezing water from a stone.

And then of course, my mother, Belle Gold. Beautiful, patient, kind, insightful, brilliant… like an actual bell, that when agitated rings so magnificently that it inspires unique clarity. I admire her. I really do. She's just impossible to measure up to and it's both exhausting and futile to even try. Mother is, by far, a stark contrast to father who typically wears a dark cloud above his head which, either by accident or design, always makes him highly conspicuous.

Contrary to my mother's intent on transparency, she is actually quite secretive. Perhaps more so than father. Behind her sharp blue eyes lies a great story (I just know it!) and it's just waiting to fall from her rose-petal perched lips. Knowing her, probably something juicy and exciting. It would explain her attraction to darkness like her relationship to father. My guess, is that it has something to deal with my grandparents, Mary and Maurice, and her relationship with them. As proof, whenever I bring up questions in regards to her past she quickly guises her responses with smiles and misdirection. I recognize this trick all too well. Being the town loner has forced me to interact with my parents (more so than I would have liked) and it's through them that I've learned to observe and listen for the subtext of what people don't say. After years of observing them; picking up on their tones, gestures, behaviors, expressions and mannerisms, I know what it means to have a topic brushed off with a distraction or to have a topic changed quickly. It means they don't want me to know something.

I swear, half the reason mother and I don't get along is because she never answers any of my questions. It's always Papa that I have to get my answers from. She's never forthcoming and her persistent need for peace makes her appear submissive and vulnerable to plasticity. On top of everything else, it's so hard for me to respect someone who allows themselves to be manipulated so easily. And for some reason, she always accomodates him. It's so aggravating! Oh well, I suppose the one crucial thing I did learn from my parents was that everything is a front for something else and that each person wears their own mask for a reason.

She and Papa do have their romantic excursions. If you can even call them that. Often times they'd return from their get-away trip being more frustrated with each other than before they had left. But I know they're not staying at the cabin like they say they are. They're out in the woods. Storybrooke Forest, to do… only god knows what. All I know is that they disappear for hours at a time, barring me from ever knowing or ever finding out what it is they do out there. I learned a long time ago to expect only bad things to happen in Storybrooke woods. Like that one time in the woods I…

…Nevermind. That story's too long to explain all here and my hand is beginning to cramp. Alright Doc Hop. I did like you suggested. Here's hoping that by doing this I won't need to have any more therapy sessions.

… …

Lily closed her composition notebook and looked up from where she sat on a bench. She was surrounded by a menagerie of tombstones, all varying in sizes and shapes. It was the afternoon and school had been let out over an hour ago. Due to the setting sun shadows began darkening next to each head stone signaling her cue to head home. The cemetery had become her place of solace. No one knew of her peaceful sanctuary. In one fluid motion, Lily got up, stuffed her books neatly into her black back pack and swung the two straps meant for two shoulders over one.

Her black combat boots made great impressions in the grass as she stomped her way back to the path leading to her gated exit. Lily stopped as she passed the cemetery gates to withdraw one of her leisure books from within her bookbag. The usual path to her mother's library was a simple one. So mindless, in fact, that often times she would read a book along the way if only to avoid eye contact of the gawkers she would pass by. Lily stood out and her attire was always a sight to see, but her looks were done out of defiance to her mother and the town.

She made her way down the usual path ignoring the elements around her. Elements like the wind blowing softly through her dyed raven-black hair and maroon plaid skirt that rippled around her. Not once did she look up from the book she was reading as the sun beat down on her face. It was a fairly cool day and if it were any warmer Lily would have considered less foundation versus the normal heavy layer she'd lather on her face. The color of her foundation didn't compliment her natural skin tone at all. To Lily, the whiter the better, if only to give her more of a ghost like appearance and frighten away her onlookers. Her eyes, however amber and enchanting, were immediately shrouded by black eyeliner, which only accentuated her already death-like appearance. She didn't care. Lily already knew where she stood in town. She knew that she was odd, so she embraced it. Reveled in it.

The gentle wind did give her a slight chill, so she tightened the oversized black leather jacket she was wearing to keep her warm. The jacket was too big for her because she had 'borrowed' the item from her best friend, Roland. She really loved the jacket because it reminded her of his warm protection, like how they had originally met seven years ago when he had protected her from bullies at school. No one really understood her but him. So having and wearing the jacket all the time made her feel protected.

Just as she had expected, her mindless journey led her straight back into downtown Storybrooke. She continued walking, but as she finished reading her sentence she glanced up and caught a glimpse of her reflection in the Hardware shop's glass window she was passing. She had come a long way since her acute amnesia in the woods. The image of herself as the little eight-year-old girl was a far cry from what she was seeing now. Where auburn slightly curly locks once framed her, were drastically replaced by slightly bunched up tied-back black hair. She had a few piercings added to her ears, along with her nose and tongue just a few months ago. It wasn't until recently that she had just gotten used to the hole in her tongue.

Lily paused in her journey as she stared at her reflection in the glass window some more. At least the white top her mother gave her was something she and her mother both seemed to agree upon as wearable. Even Lily's fingernails were painted jet black to fit in with the rest of her macabre theme. She pointed at her reflection in the glass window and coached herself, "You are going to get out of this town. You are going to New York. If there's anyone that's going stop you from this, it's you."

Thinking that no one was paying attention to her, she became suddenly aware of another reflection smirking at her through the window … Neal Nolan. Lily spun on her heels embarrassingly to face Neal and immediately crossed her arms in feign defense. Neal stood coolly against one of the poles supporting the overhang of the establishment and chuckled to himself.

"I'm not crazy!" she shouted defensively back at him.

"I never said you were," he pointed out to her calmly. Lily found his staring at her highly suspect so she replied suspiciously, "You know, Mr. D doesn't take too kindly to people loitering and harassing his customers. He'll call the police and have you kicked off his property faster than you can say, 'Innocent'."

"Ooh!" Neal gasped, feigning offense as he gladly took in her cynical venomous quip. He knew her well enough to know that her words were only words and that her snarkiness was only a ruse to disguise her vulnerability. Cleverly, he replied, "Well, since you haven't purchased anything from the hardware store, that would technically mean you aren't a customer and since you and I just-so-happen to be sharing this exact spot, I would say that would make us both loiterers, wouldn't you think?"

His logic wasn't unsound, so without dignifying him with a respected response she immaturely stuck out her pierced tongue toward him and abruptly left his presence. Neal scoffed in disbelief and pursued after her still. "Hey! I wanna try and talk to you."

"Yeah, well what makes you think I have any interest in talking to you?" Lily snapped back coldly.

Neal stopped following Lily and said matter-of-factly, "Because all I've ever tried to be was your friend."

The comment alone was enough to pause Lily in her tracks. Her heart thumped rapidly every time she saw him. She had never understood why and felt compelled to look at his soft honest face and baby blue eyes. She didn't turn all the way to face him and instead glanced at him from the side. As she shook her head, she earnestly replied, "We can never be friends."

"And why not?"

Lily could tell by the hurt in his voice how serious he was in his intent. She slowly strolled back to him, casually scratching her nose along the way and said simply, "because we're just too different."

Neal had the look of absolute befuddlement on his face as he replied incredulously almost mockingly, "because we're different?! That's all?!"

"Well, look at you!" raised Lily's voice in frustration as she pointed at him, "You're part of the popular club. The pretty boys. The straight-and-narrow. The jocks! It would never work out between us!"

"Why should that matter when I lo…! when I…" Neal couldn't finish his sentence and his point had lost its momentum. Both hearts were pounding as his reason for friendship stammered along with his words. Just when the situation didn't get any more awkward Lily's nemesis, Alex stepped into the scene getting uncomfortably cozy next Neal.

Ever since Lily had moved back to Storybrooke Alexandra had been nothing but unkind to her. She and Neal had been friends for the longest time and could never see what Neal saw in her. Even to this day, no one ever knew for sure what their relationship was officially to each other, but it was always assumed that they would eventually end up being together in the end. Alexandra had perfectly dressed blonde hair and well-manicured eyes. In Lily's mind, Barbie was probably a close cousin of hers. If Alex didn't wear her smug around her like perfume, Lily could possibly tolerate her, but her perpetual pretentious attitude towards her always made her want to gag in disgust.

"Nealy…," began Alex. Her voice sounded like bitter honey as it dripped from her mouth. Nealy was Alex's nickname for Neal and it was enough for Lily to roll her eyes in revulsion. "Why do you always waste your time with your ghost friend when you have real flesh-and-blood friends here in the real world?"

"At least ghosts lived once. You, on the other hand, constantly live under a cosmetic mask which I'm sure by now has hardened into a rock."

"Speak for yourself!" retorted back indignantly. "Thanks to you, there's now a standard in Storybrooke as to what not to wear!"

Lily seethed as she glared at Alex. When she couldn't be bothered by either of them Lily turned and walked in the opposite direction towards the library. She couldn't bear to let Alex to see the hurt in her eyes. Even as she left Lily could still hear Alex tease her, "That's it! Go back to your Mummy! Goodness knows she's your only hope for fashion advice!"

At Alex's last remark, Neal shoved her off of him and backed away in frustration. "You know what Alex, you can be a real obnoxious jerk!"

Alex rolled her eyes and brushed off his comment lightly and said, "C'mon Neal. Everyone knows that she's dating that convict, Locksley. You're better off without her!"

Lily quickly threw herself inside the library doors and bolted directly to her safe spot. In her mind, the 'safe spot' was the farthest corner of the library and it just so happened to be the children's section of the library. Lily moved so quickly that she didn't even stop to look at who was attending the front desk as she proceeded to the back. She found the decades old bean bag and collapsed onto it, sulking as she tried desperately to muffle her tears. Her efforts to be discreet failed and the floodgates fell.

The part that was upsetting wasn't Alex's hurtful comments, but of Neal Nolan. His very presence.

Every time Lily encountered Neal Nolan she would feel inexplicably overwhelmed by emotion. Some days it would be of happiness, but often times it was of sadness like some part of her life had been sorely unresolved or taken away from her. It wasn't that she didn't like him. Far from it, it was because she truly loved him and that for some reason fate prevented them from being together. She didn't understand why life for her was like this. She felt like she was destined for something more but something was holding her back. All she knew was that the key to her happiness had something to deal with Neal Nolan.

…LIIIIIILLLYYYY…

… …

…Flashback…Seven Years ago…Edge of Storybrooke Forest…

"Lily! LILY?!"

What is that voice? Lily wondered. All she could see was darkness and she could hear nothing else but the voice. She recognized the young boy's voice. Usually, hearing it would bring her solace, but this time the tone sounded more distressed.

"It's me! It's Neal. Wake up! Why won't she wake up?"

Lily wanted to run toward the call but her body felt paralyzed. She needed to see him. She longed to stop whatever it was that was giving him pain. She needed to wake up.

"…Neal…" Lily called out softly as her eyes fluttered open. Her vision was initially blurry but quickly came into focus as she realized she was staring underneath the canopy of trees. As her vision gave way to clarity, she became aware of her surroundings and realized she was lying on the forest floor cradled in her father's lap. "Neal? Papa?" Lily called out again in a daze.

"I'm right here," claimed Neal Cassidy as he stepped forward and knelt down to hold his sister's hand. Lily turned to see her brother but was confused, the younger voice from her head didn't match the Neal she was seeing.

"Where… where am I? What happened?" questioned Lily. Belle came closer to her daughter and knelt at her daughter's feet. "You're in the woods, my love. You… had run away from us," answered Belle. Lily took note of the hesitance in her mother's voice and knew that something wasn't right. It sounded as if that wasn't the complete story.

"I… ran away?" replied Lily in disbelief.

"Something had drawn you to these woods," interrupted her father as he continued explaining to her, "We had searched all over Storybrooke for you, but it was your little friend, Mr. Nolan who helped us find you."

"Neal Nolan is my friend?" questioned Lily out loud. Her memory was all but a blur leading up to how she ended up in the woods. And the most significant part that stood out in her father's statement was that Neal was her friend, but that didn't sound right. "But… I don't have any friends."

"Sure you do," chimed in Neal Cassidy. "You have me."

Lily supposed that was correct, but even her memories of her brother were few and far between so it left her skeptical. Nothing was making sense. Lily furrowed her eyebrows in confusion. "How come I don't remember anything?"

All the adults that surrounded her looked to each other as if fighting over who would answer first. Rumplestiltskin knew that a delay in response would only make Lily more curious, so he took the lead and replied, "You were suffering from hypothermia when we found you unconscious here. Perhaps when you fell, whatever it was that your head hit on was what caused your amnesia."

Lily lifted her hand to feel her head. Hypothermia? Hitting her head from the impact of her fall? Lily found her father's statements even more odd. She didn't feel cold, in fact, she had felt warm and tingly all over. And as for her head, Lily couldn't detect even the slightest headache. Everything her father was saying felt inconsistent.

"C'mon then," said Rumple as he helped Lily to her feet. "Let's take you to the hospital to get checked out. I wanna be certain nothing else had happened to you while you were away."

Lily gravitated towards Neal and took him by the hand, clinging to him. She and Neal led the way with Belle and Rumple following closely behind them as they left forest. The family walked only a few steps to leave the woods when Belle suddenly leaned in to whisper into her husband's ear, "Rumple, how are we all going to travel together if we all got here by magic?"

Without skipping a beat, Rumple made sure Lily wasn't looking and twirled his fingers in the air. Cheekily, he replied, "by car, of course." Just up ahead was a clearing and there was the Cadillac parked and ready for them to use.

Belle rolled her eyes and then scolded him, "Rumple! Remember, our daughter isn't supposed to know about magic."

"How could I forget?" he said unenthusiastically. It was evident by the tone of his voice that Rumplestiltskin didn't like having to hide magic from his own family.

"We must be careful."

… …

The family arrived to the hospital together to find the majority of the hospital staff had gathered around the loss of Captain Hook and the Charming family. The Gold family entered the hospital and approached the reception desk to find it nearly abandoned when suddenly a familiar face approached the family.

"Rumplestiltskin? Belle?" A petite young woman with fair skin and dark brown hair spoke to the family in a near high-pitched voice.

"Bouquet! Thank goodness," recognized Belle with relief as she took Lily from Neal and ushered her to stand in front of her. Gold stepped up beside Belle and eyed the practitioner. Based off of her white lab coat she donned more than the usual nurse-wear. He added, "Doctor, huh? Well done."

"Thank you," remarked Dr. Bouquet gracefully as she did her fair share of observing the family as well. She hadn't seen the family in years, but she knew something was wrong. The family was clearly in distress of something because knowing the family, they would never venture into the hospital unless the situation was dire. "But, something tells me you all aren't here for me. What can I do for you?"

Despite the rest of the hospital staff enraptured by the death of Killian Jones, Belle loved how Bouquet didn't fall prey to the drama like the rest of town and focused primarily on the family that was in front of her. Belle loved and trusted Bouquet because of her natural perceptiveness, forwardness and fearlessness toward her husband. What Belle liked most about the doctor, was that while most people coward themselves before Rumplestiltskin, Bouquet approached him humanely and impartially. It was these first impressions Bouquet made upon the family eight years ago that made both Belle and Rumple relax at her encounter.

As grateful as they all were to see a friendly face, both Rumple and Belle didn't even know where to begin in explaining why they were there and looked to each other as to who would initiate the conversation. It was then that Neal Cassidy intervened and started the conversation, "Lily was found in the woods and we think she may have amnesia. We wanted to make sure there wasn't anything else."

Dr. Bouquet looked to Neal with confusion and inquired, "I'm sorry, and who are you?"

"I'm sorry," apologized Rumplestiltskin to the doctor. "Doctor, this is my son, Neal Cassidy."

"I'm her brother," Neal replied confidently.

"Ok," replied the doctor. Bouquet looked skeptically to both Belle and Rumplestiltskin for their facial responses and she could tell right away that it was another long and complicated story. So she decided against her better judgement to question the familial connection. In fear of rousing suspicion, Bouquet looked to the little girl. She knelt down to her eye-level and with a warm smile said, "You must be Lily." Bouquet scanned Lily with her eyes and with a glimmer of pride she admired, "You know I was there with your mom and Dad the day you were born. I was your nurse." Lily shrugged her shoulders at the Doctor, seeming nonplussed by the apparent connection they shared but couldn't remember. Lily wasn't sure how to respond so she remained silent as she got closer to her father for assurance.

"I suppose you wouldn't have remembered me anyways. It was such a long time ago." Seeing that Lily was unsure of her, Dr. Bouquet proposed, "I'll tell you what, if you follow me, I'll show you a super comfy room. When we get there we can have a chat while we snack on cookies and juice."

The doctor's proposition didn't leave much for negotiation as Gold nudged his daughter to move forward. Gold smirked to himself, appreciating Bouquet's forwardness as he, Neal, Belle, and Lily followed after Dr. Bouquet to one of the available patient rooms. Along the way, the doctor spoke briefly to one of the nurses in passing and requested the snack items be delivered to their room. With a slight nod of the nurse's head the nurse took off in another direction to retrieve the items.

The family proceeded down the long corridor and noticed the windows along the way that viewed outside. It was dark and Lily's stomach was rumbling. She couldn't remember the last time she ate. Perhaps the cookies and juice would prove the consultation with her family's doctor worthwhile. Dr. Bouquet led the family to the room and almost instantly, the nurse she had whispered instructions to earlier came into the room to deliver the tray of goodies. The tray from what Lily could see had a small can of Pringles, a Snickers bar, an apple and a bottle of grape juice. Lily didn't realize how hungry she was until she saw the tray and began to salivate.

Dr. Bouquet went to the available bed and patted the mattress, gesturing for Lily to sit there. Seeing that the food was already there, she willingly complied and hopped up onto the mattress. Lily immediately went for the chips and engulfed an entire chip. Knowing that the chips would make her thirsty she reached for the grape juice that was on the bed's table and struggled to twist the cap off. Rumple, who was standing right beside her at the bed, came to her rescue and took the bottle from her. With ease, he twisted the cap cleanly off and handed it back to her which Lily took gratefully. Lily didn't look up at the doctor as she snacked away, but the doctor informed her, "So I'm just going to step outside with your family for a moment and have a quick catch-up with them. Ok?"

The doctor took the T.V. remote that was sitting behind Lily on the bed and flicked on the television for her. Belle patted her daughter's knee and assured, "We won't be far. I love you."

Neal was the first to follow Dr. Bouquet, followed by Rumple and last Belle, but before she left she made sure to kiss Lily's forehead to say 'goodbye' in her own intimate way. Lily saw her mother as she crossed the door's threshold and watched her pause for a moment to look back at her. Seeing that Lily was going to be alright, Belle gave one last warm smile and disappeared from sight to join in on the discussion with the doctor.

Lily moved on from the chips and dove right into the Snicker's bar when suddenly she heard a small boy's voice exclaim, "You're alive!"

Neal Nolan. Her bully. Lily felt suddenly defensive and replied sarcastically, "Of course I'm alive."

Neal got closer to her and her heart throbbed in her chest. It was something in his innocent understanding voice that reached deep into her soul to make her feel warm and fuzzy inside. She didn't understand this reaction she was having to him when he continued, "When I heard that you had arrived at the hospital as well I just had to find you. I had to let you know that I don't care what others think. You're a hero!"

Lily stared blankly at her peer and viewed him skeptically. "A hero?" Lily murmured audibly to herself. She was really confused. Neal heard every word and agreed, "Yes!"

"Good thing we're at a hospital because I don't think you're thinking too clearly."

"I am thinking clearly! I haven't thought so clearly in all my life. You saved me! You're my hero!"

"Your hero?"

"Yes!"

"Don't you mean, Alex?"

"Alex?"

"Yeah, you know, your… friend?"

"Friend?"

"Girl… friend?"

Neal shook his head as if to shake away the confusion that temporarily blinded him, but pressed on, "Alex and I are just friends, but I don't love her."

"You could have fooled me with how often you rush to her defense to save your image."

"Is… that what you think of me?"

"How else should I think of you?"

Neal paused in his response, contemplating his next words carefully. Something was off about Lily and he couldn't quite articulate what it was exactly. "What…what do you remember… from back in the woods?"

"I-I can't… I don't remember." Lily tried desperately to think back on how she became suddenly found in the woods, but was suddenly taken aback by the fogginess of it all. She genuinely couldn't remember and it frightened her.

"You know… you… me… magic?"

Silence filled the air between them as Neal waited with bated breath for her response. After a few beats, Lily's perplexed look turned quickly to disbelief and then immediately to laughter. Neal became affronted by her condescending laughter. In between heavy-breathed laughs, Lily managed to say, "Magic? Really? You mean, like... love? Boy, you really must be off your rocker! Good thing you're in the hospital."

Neal scrunched his face in frustration and said, "Well, for your information, you're in a hospital too! I know your parents did something to you. I don't know what exactly. Maybe mess with your memory or something, but I do know one thing for sure. I know what I saw and I know that you are a hero. You may not believe it, but I do. So I'll just have to believe it for you."

Lily's laughter ceased and suddenly she drew concerned, almost frightened. "Alright, you're creeping me out Neal. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"

Neal backed away out of Lily's room dis-heartedly. His head hung low for a moment, but then he looked up at Lily with great determination. "You may not remember, but you are magical. Magic is who you are and I will find it again for you. I will find it and you will remember."

Magic? Lily thought to herself. At first she thought he was joking, but his tone was serious and his delivery was sincere. He was telling the truth and it was conflicting with her sense of reality.

Neal left and her room fell incredibly silent again. Although the noise from the tv was still going on in the background, the room fell silent. Lily knew that if anybody had heard what Neal was saying they would have considered it a hysteric outburst due to sudden trauma in the family but to Lily, she knew deep down in her soul that it wasn't the case. Neal meant for it to be endearing, and she knew in her heart that what he said was true.

A voice echoed inside Lily's head, calling out to her.

…LIIIIIILLLYYYY…

The strange voice resonated inside her skull and it caused Lily to clasp the sides of her head. Perhaps there was a reason why she was in the hospital after all.

Hello! Welcome to the final installment for the "Lily" series The Awakening. You may or may not have noticed, but I decided to do something different this go around with the writing style for this story. Very similar to the show, I will be showcasing a lot of flashbacks. My intention is to continue two storylines simultaneously, what's going on in the present (basically seven years after from where the previous story left off) and the past (to explain what happened during those years). In order for myself to not be confused the flashbacks will be explained at the beginning of the reading to orient you where we are in the timeline and eventually will lead you back up to the present where the overall story will continue its plot and finish out. This unique storytelling has been a challenge for me, but I hope it reads smoothly and plainly for you.

I had originally wanted to start posting the Sunday after season 6 finished, but I also wanted to do this story justice. So I took my time to write what I wanted without the pressure of rushing this art. And since this is the final installment, I wanted to do this right. This series has been my baby and has helped me through a lot so I felt obligated to get it right. Leave me a review! I look forward to hearing from you. See you next chapter!