I swear, this will be the last one this time! Also, remember that this takes place AFTER Keepsake. Otherwise, you may be a tad confused.

"Jonathan Rash."

This is it.

"Damian Raswell."

I've been waiting for this moment for fifty-one years.

"Katherine Ratses"

And now, all I have to wait for is them to call

"Breanna Rattmann."

Time seemed to move in slow motion as she approached the podium, her red gown a few inches above the ground. The applause was deafening, though she was aware that only a select few were actually clapping for her. She shot a small smile at the two men in the front row, both of them beaming back in pride. Especially the one whose mismatched eyes were the same shade of sky blue as hers.

Breanna carefully took the diploma she'd worked so hard to earn, then the principal proceeded to shake her trembling hand- the one that didn't have the scar. He whispered a small congratulations to her, and she went to take her seat, smiling at the boy in the black cap and gown she'd met all those years ago. West returned the grin with one of his own.

Before she knew it, it was done. But, what was done, really? High school? The graduation ceremony? Or was it something much bigger? Something she had yet to determine?

She hadn't noticed her hand was on the back of her neck, feeling the skin which had been unwillingly tinted with tattoo ink. She didn't hesitate to move it away.

"Calm down, Doug, she has to be here somewhere." Cave put his hand on the shoulder of his nephew. "I get why you're protective of her, but she's a smart girl. She can find her way to us at a school event."

Doug smiled just a bit. "I know. But still..."

"Daddy! Uncle Johnson!" Both men turned their heads to see the girl with the obsidian hair hurrying toward them, a smile on her face that could be described only as radiant.

They embraced her simultaneously as her father spoke. "For forty years, I thought I would never get to see this day." His voice was quiet, as to keep any outsiders from hearing. "But now that I am, I sort of wish otherwise. My little girl is growing up." He smiled and kissed her forehead.

"Now the next step is college, right? Your dad tells me you've got some good scholarships." Cave added. She confirmed the fact. "And after that, maybe you'll consider-"

"No!" Breanna's outburst was sudden, frightened, and slightly louder than she'd anticipated. "I'm sorry, Uncle Johnson," She continued, softer. "But I'm never going back to Aperture. Never."

Doug squeezed her hand just a little tighter. "I understand." Cave put his hand on her arm. "I shouldn't have brought it up. Sorry." Cave had never forgiven himself for putting such a young girl into such a life altering position. Not fully. But he had to keep reminding himself that, if not for his actions, the girl in front of him would be long dead, a direct result of an accident involving repulsion gel. Chest pains, deterioration of intellectual abilities and motor skills, and eventually heart failure. That was what he had saved her from. He had to remember that.

Breanna smiled. "It's fine, really. Just so long as I never have to see another AI again." Doug, though he didn't say it out loud, felt the exact same way.

He didn't want to stay on the subject any longer. "The valedictorian's speech was nice. You could have done better, though."

She blushed at her father's comment. "I doubt it. There's a reason she beat me. My second semester grades weren't particularly my best." It was true. Many of her classes had dropped to B's. "Where's Leena?"

"She should be here soon." He replied, looking around for his wife of three years. He was unaware of the strange sensation that his daughter was experiencing. She was good at hiding it after seven years of having to do so.

"I should get going." Cave hugged Breanna once more. "Oh, and I forgot to tell you. Caroline sends her regards."

For whatever reason, Doug highly doubted that.

So a week later, Breanna sat in her room. Something was wrong. She looked at her hand, which was trembling. This hasn't happened since... She shook her head. She was imagining it, was all. It was nothing she should be concerned about.

Her thoughts were interrupted by a small vibration in her pocket. She took out her modest flip phone and checked her text messages.

West: hey whats up

She sighed a bit before responding.

Breanna: Don't think I don't know what this is about.

West: ?

Breanna: I know Gabby Watson's having a party for all the graduates. I'm not going.

West: Y not?

Breanna: 1: Use full words. This text speak is annoying. 2: Because you want it to be a date. I told you, that kiss three years ago was a thank you. That's it. 3: Why doesn't anyone ever seem to call people anymore?

She waited a solid twenty minutes before deciding he wasn't going to answer. West was always quick with replying. Three minutes was the longest it ever took him.

She set the phone down. West had feelings for her, that was obvious. But what did she feel for him? It was nothing, right? They were just friends. But sometimes, she wasn't sure if maybe she secretly wanted it to be more than that. He'd saved her life, after all.

But it would never work. She knew that, and she'd tried to explain the fact to him many times. He was eighteen. She, on the other hand, had been alive- technically speaking- for fifty one years. She'd had to explain her story to him after his father had brought it up when he kidnapped her. And yet he still was hopelessly in love with her.

That's why I'm shaking. I'm nervous. About West, college, Dad. It has nothing to do with anything else. After all, I'm not- Her hands flew to her chest as a stab of pain flooded it. Her eyes wide, she sat there for a good five and a half minutes before it subsided.

She didn't waste any time picking up her cell phone and dialing a number. She stated her request to the secretary, every second filling her with more dread. After what seemed like far too long, someone answered. "Cave Johnson here."

"Uncle Johnson..." Her voice was soft, as she tried to hide her fear.

"Breanna? What's wrong?"

She took a shaking breath, her eyes closed, and spoke the words she'd never wanted to speak. "...It's happening again."