Disclaimer: I don't own Bioshock or any of the characters

In the early morning sun, the beach looked as picturesque as an image out of a postcard. Waves gently lapped at the sandy shore in a tranquil rhythm as several birds sent out calls telling the world that they'd woken up. In a few hours, the scene would become one of fun as people congregated with their friends, children, and family to enjoy the relaxing waters. Something that every tourist would hope for when coming.

At the moment however, it held a very different atmosphere.

Madeline Weaver sat alone on the boardwalk, staring out into the vast ocean with numbness born of old wounds. It was the same place she'd sat yesterday, and the day before, and the day before that, and every day since it had happened. She was not here to make fun. She was here to grieve.

A house near the beach. It had sounded like such a wonderful prospect when her husband had announced it. She'd been ecstatic at the thought of raising her baby girl next to the water. She'd always loved swimming, and she'd been sure that Gwen would as well. It had been such a wonderful thing to dream about, but her dream had turned into a nightmare.

She'd heard the screaming first in the middle of the night. First Gwen's, high-pitched and terrified. Then Andrew, her husband's, loud and protective. Then that thing…

She would never forget the scream that creature made for as long as she lived. Madeline had just burst out the bedroom and run downstairs in time to have her entire body shaken to the core by the horrible screeching it emitted. The noise had clawed its way inside her head, ravaging her eardrums until she was sure they'd split open. The pain of the noise was terrible. The sight in her living room was infinitely worse.

Standing in the middle of her home was an armored monster that looked like it had walked out of some kind of horror movie. Metal upon metal clung to a slim figure, topped off with some kind of diving helmet that was alight with a crimson glow. Its arm ended in some kind of long weapon. A sword perhaps? Or some kind of spear. She hadn't gotten a good look at it. She'd stared in openmouthed shock, only realizing the gravity of what was happening when she saw her baby girl being dragged along by its pitiless grasp.

"Let go of my daughter!"

Andrew… Her poor, beloved Andrew… In an attempt to save their child, he'd grabbed the nearest weapon, a lamp, and had tried to attack the intruder. It hadn't even touched him. It raised one of its arms and he just rose up off the ground. He'd floated, suspended in midair for several moments before being slammed down with a sickening crunch. The process repeated itself three times before his broken body had been forcefully hurled at Madeline.

She'd been smashed into the wall, hitting her head badly and falling unconscious. By the time she recovered, the police were everywhere.

A murder and kidnapping. That was what the headlines had said. Father killed, mother wounded, and little girl stolen from her home in the dead of night. She'd tried to tell them. Tried so hard. It hadn't mattered. Each time she described the killer or the way it had brutalized her husband, the investigators had always turned to each other with that look. A small frown, a slight shake of the head. She hated that damn look so much. There was nothing she could do to convince them. In their eyes, she was just a hysterical woman still in shock from the loss of her family.

Maybe they were right. She'd certainly felt hysterical, but she knew what she'd seen. And the more she'd thought about it, the more she knew what it had been. Madeline was not some empty-headed fool. She could recognize a diving suit. Her daughter was never found because the investigators were looking inland. Nobody would ever suspect a kidnapper to steal a child and bring them out to sea.

Her husband… Her daughter… Her life had been shattered. All because they'd had the misfortune of living near the beach when there was a predator on the loose.

Even years later, sitting there alone on the boardwalk brought tears to her eyes. Staring out to sea, feeling that empty weight that never left… It was all she could do to get up in the mornings. It all seemed so pointless now. What did work matter when those she cared for were gone? What good was eating when the hollowness in her being could never be filled?

Heaving a quiet sigh, she blinked back the wetness in her eyes. She didn't want to break down in public. At the very least, she still tried to look like she was enduring.

"Over there. Maybe we can ask her?"

Madeline cringed inwardly at the sound of a young man's voice.

Wonderful. People were already up and about. She'd have to leave then before the crowd showed up. Her grieving was a private affair, and seeing so many happy faces would drive her deeper into misery.

"Excuse me? Ma'am? Do you think you could help us find someone?"

Looking up, she realized that the unknowing intruder was speaking to her. He wasn't alone. A young woman about his age stood by his side, resting on of her hands of the shoulder of another girl who was little older than a child, though too old to be their daughter. As they drew closer, she became aware that something was very off about the trio.

None of them looked to be in particularly good shape. The boy was dressed in a shirt and jeans that were slightly too big for him, while his female counterpart wore a lightly colored sundress and a pair of tinted sunglasses despite it still being relatively dim outside. The child had on a very simple outfit of a tattered blue dress which looked like it had been through some rather unforgiving conditions. However, it wasn't their clothing that caught her attention.

The young man had a decidedly unhealthy tinge to his skin, and his body would twitch ever so slightly. It wasn't a very noticeable habit, but Madeline had grown very used to picking out subtle body language when she'd been questioned by the police.

The young woman wasn't much better. She was so pale that Madeline might have mistaken her for an albino were it not for the blonde coloring of her hair. Several scars crisscrossed along her exposed arms and legs, and she held herself with the kind of tense self-control of one who expected to be attacked at any moment.

Great. Just what she needed right now.

The boy drew closer, giving a wave to get her attention.

"Hey there." He greeted, looking slightly unsure and embarrassed. "Do you think you could help us find someone? We're a bit new around here and-"

"I don't know any." Madeline snapped irritably. He drew back sharply, surprised by the harshness of her tone. "Go bother someone else if you're looking for a dealer. I'm not getting involved with a bunch of junkies."

He blinked several times.

"Junkies? I'm not sure what you… Oh…" Understanding flashed across his face. "Heh. I guess I can see where you got that from. I'm not looking for drugs. Trust me; I've had enough problems in the past with that kind of thing. It's a long story. I'm actually looking for someone who's supposed to live around here."

She was very tempted to simply walk away. Speaking to others wasn't something she took any real enjoyment out of. The more she thought about it though, the more petty and unnecessary the gesture felt. He wasn't doing any wrong by asking for directions.

Shoulders slumping slightly in defeat, Madeline turned to face him.

"Who would that be?" She asked, taking on as neutral a tone as she could. As the two girls got closer she heard the younger one give a small gasp. The older of the two froze, looking down at her companion and back up again.

"We're actually looking for a person who's supposed to be living around here." The boy explained. "Maggie? No that wasn't right. Mag… Mad… something. I know it started with an M…"

She looked up sharply, taking a moment to examine him more closely. Was he looking for her? What could they possibly want with her?

"Madeline?" She ventured.

"Yea, that was it." He nodded, smacking himself in the forehead. "Thanks. I'm not used to remembering so many new names. Do you know where we can find her? We've got something important that she needs to see."

Once again, she wanted nothing more than to leave. These people were looking for her, and they didn't appear to be the kind of upstanding citizens you would be comfortable meeting alone on a boardwalk. For all she knew, they could be muggers looking for an easy target, though that wouldn't explain why they asked for her specifically. In the end she figured she didn't particularly care. If they robbed her of what little she had left she'd hardly notice.

"You're talking to her." Madeline replied.

His reaction wasn't what she'd been expecting. His eyes widened in surprise, taking a slight step back before stopping himself. After a moment, he seemed to compose himself and a sad smile took shape on his face.

"Ah… Sorry, I guess I wasn't expecting to find you so soon." He said. "Caught me a bit off guard. There's someone here you should see. I'd introduce the two of you but… well… I think you'll understand."

Madeline narrowed her eyes suspiciously as he stepped aside, gesturing for the two girls to step forwards. They drew closer, the older seemingly reluctant to do so. She was about to open her mouth to demand that these people tell her what they were up to, but something stopped her. It took a moment to register, but when she saw it she couldn't turn away.

The young girl walking next to the older one looked familiar.

The child's face seemed to mirror her own inner feelings. Trepidation, hesitation, but still recognition. Where had she seen this girl before? The answer was on the tip of her tongue, just out of reach. Not a friend's child, not one of the kids that frequented the beach, certainly not one she'd seen wandering around her property.

As her mind struggled to find the answer, the child spoke. One word that shook her to her core and turned her whole world upside-down.

"…Mama…?"

Time froze. The air was still. The birds, silent. Nothing moved. Nothing existed outside the green eyes that were locked with her own.

"…Gwen…?"

The word left her in a choked whisper, so quiet that she wasn't even sure she'd spoken out loud. A brief moment, a sharp intake of breath, there was no mistaking it. It was her. After so long, it was really her.

"Oh my god!" Madeline shouted, her voice cracking with emotion. "Gwen!"

She ran forward, not caring anymore about drawing attention to herself. Gwen mimicked her action, meeting her halfway. She dropped down on her knees, drawing her child into a crushing embrace. Her mind no longer registered anything other than the girl in her arms. She held on with every ounce of strength she had, as though afraid letting up even slightly would cause her to vanish. Gwen was doing much the same, tears running down her face as she clung to her mother.

"Oh my god… oh my god…" Madeline repeated that phrase over and over, not even noticing that she'd begun crying as well. It was like a dream and she was terrified that she'd wake up at any moment.

The two of them held that moment, that unbelievable embrace, for a miniature eternity. She had no clue what was going on around her and she no longer cared. For the first time in years, she was holding onto something precious to her.

After an indistinguishable amount of time, she slowly remembered that there were two other people present. Breathlessly, she loosened her grip on Gwen just enough to see the young pair.

They were holding hands now; or rather the girl was clinging to his hand. She looked as though she were trying very hard not to crush it as her face wore a very conflicted expression. For his part, the boy looked like he was struggling to keep his own composure.

"Who are you…?" Madeline asked, hardly raising her voice above a whisper. There was no way these two could be human. To have brought her child back from the monster that had stolen her, they must have been something else entirely.

The boy was the one who answered.

"My name is Davian." He said. "And this is Amelia. We've been… looking after Gwen for some time now. It wasn't until recently that we were even aware she had any family around here."

"I-I don't know what to say…" Madeline started, wiping her eyes and trying to regain control of her emotions. "You were looking after her? What happened? Where has she been? Please, what's been happening to my daughter?"

Davian and Amelia shared a meaningful look and she felt Gwen stiffen slightly in her arms.

"That's hard to explain." He offered, rubbing the back of his head. "To be honest, you probably wouldn't believe me even if I told you. I think that it's something she'll have to explain when she's ready. I can tell you though that she's a strong kid. What she's been through… I've seen it break grown men a lot bigger than she is."

Madeline was silent. What could she possibly say to something like that? Here she was, holding the child she thought she'd lost and she couldn't even bring herself to answer the people who'd brought her back.

After a minute of struggling to find her voice, she took a deep breath.

"I can't thank you enough." She said, feeling tears starting to build up in her eyes once again. "I don't even know how to make this up to you… I…"

"Just take care of her." He said quietly, his sad smile returning.

"Wait!"

Madeline almost jumped as Gwen pulled herself free of her mother's embrace and ran over to clutch both Davian's and Amelia's legs.

"You're not going to leave are you!?' She asked desperately, looking back and forth between the two of them. "You can't! We have to… to…"

"Hey, hey, come on now, you know we wouldn't just leave you all by yourself." He said, kneeling down and wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Amelia mimicked the gesture, affectionately nuzzling the side of Gwen's head as she did so. "We're still going to be around, right?"

Madeline was surprised when she realized that the last question was directed at her rather than her daughter. Davian was looking over to her with a silent, almost pleading, expression. It took a minute for the meaning of the gesture to sink in. He was asking her permission. It was such an unexpected movement that she needed another moment to compose herself.

A hundred questions burned through her mind. Who were these people? What relation did they have to her daughter? Did they know who took her and what had become of them? She wanted to ask all of them and more, but in the end she settled for giving her answer. Shakily, she nodded her head. These two had brought her child back. If they'd bonded with her, then Madeline wasn't about to send them away.

A smile of genuine relief played out over Davian's features.

"You see?" He said, turning back to Gwen. "We'll come to visit you as often as we can. That's a promise, and you know I never make promises I can't keep."

She sniffled lightly, gripping the pair with watery eyes. Madeline watched quietly at the exchange, wondering for the hundredth time how these people had come to meet her child and what had occurred between them.

At last, the group slowly drew apart. Amelia, who still had yet to speak a single word, pressed a light kiss on the top of Gwen's head before letting the girl make her way back over to her mother. Madeline unconsciously slipped her hand around Gwen's, needing some kind of contact just to prove to herself that this was actually happening.

"It's been nice meeting you miss… uh." Davian faltered momentarily, wracking his memory for the correct name.

"Weaver." She answered quickly, doing her best to smile. "My last name is Weaver, but please, call me Madeline."

"Thanks." He said, chuckling. "Listen, we've got some stuff we need to take care of but I was wondering if we'd be able to come over tomorrow maybe? You know, just to make sure Gwen's settling in all right. And... Well…"

"You can come over whenever you like." Madeline assured. "It's the blue house down past the end of the boardwalk. You'll always have a place at my home if you need it, and I know I'd like to speak with you more when you get the chance."

Davian nodded in appreciation.

"Thanks for the offer." He said. "We're actually looking for someplace near here, so if you ever see an apartment that opens up I'd appreciate it if you let us know. Right now we're going to be staying with a friend of a friend, who we're actually supposed to be meeting pretty soon."

A small silence descended as he finished speaking. Madeline felt as though she should say something, but there was nothing she could think to add. She'd never been in a situation like this, and no words felt right. After a brief pause, Davian let out a reluctant breath.

"We should really get going…" He said, though his voice lacked any real conviction. "We'll keep in touch and pay a visit as soon as we're able. You behave now. Try not to drive your mother too crazy before we arrive all right?"

Gwen nodded, smiling tearfully. As Davian and Amelia turned to leave, both very hesitant in their own actions, she started waving with her free hand.

"Goodbye mister M!" She called. "Just remember! You promised! Don't forget it!"

"I won't! You can bet on that!" He answered, waving back as they started walking away. Madeline found herself waving as well. In the span of less than half an hour, her whole world had been rearranged.

In the dead of night, a demon had stolen her child away from her.

In the morning light of a new day, two angels had brought her back.

Davian's steps echoed heavily in his own mind as he walked. Beside him, Amelia drew up close and snaked an arm around his own. He could feel her shaking slightly, and he knew that he was doing it as well.

It was the right thing to do. Gwen needed her family, and they'd still be coming to see her as often as possible. Even so, it almost felt like they were giving her up. Shaking his head, he let out a breath and worked to steady himself. They most certainly were not giving her up. They were returning her to where she belonged, and they'd be there to look over her as well.

Several minutes of walking brought them to the edge of the beach where a familiar figure was waiting for them.

"What, did you guys get lost or something?" Archer called, hailing them with a raised arm. "I've been waiting here forever."

"You didn't have to wait for us you know." Davian answered, pausing momentarily to give Amelia's hand a reassuring squeeze. The big sister replied with a small hum which he assumed was a good sound. "You could have gone and introduced yourself without us."

The young man's expression turned sheepish as he shifted in place.

"Uh… yea… about that. There's been a slight change of plans." He said, clearly embarrassed by something. "Apparently Tenenbaum decided that I'm a 'high risk individual' and she'd going to be taking me, Stanley, and a few other people to stay with her so that she can keep us all under observation to ensure we don't fly off the handle or something crazy like that."

Davian stared in openmouthed disbelief before taking an irritated breath and pinching the bridge of his nose.

"Archer…" He began slowly. "What did you do?"

The boy shrugged unconvincingly, trying and failing to look innocent.

"Well apparently there's a bit of a culture clash here." He explained. "For whatever reason, it seems that the local law enforcement frowns upon bringing a fully loaded crossbow into a diner. They weren't reassured when I kept telling them 'don't worry, I know what I'm doing' either."

Davian and Amelia shared a deadpan stare before sighing heavily.

"You know, even she heard when the doctor was warning us about stuff like this." Davian remarked, gesturing towards the protector at his side. "And she was spending most of her time casting suspicious glances at the sky."

"What can I say? I was never very good at heeding warnings." Archer said, dismissing the comment with a shrug. "But I'll stay around, you can be on that. The doc can't keep an eye on me at all times, so you can expect to see from me pretty often. By the way, how've you two been holding up? I know you've got some big plans in the next few weeks."

Davian cringed, unconsciously rubbing his arm.

"Don't remind me…" He groaned, looking like he was going to be sick.

"What? Weren't you going on about how great it'd be not to have to worry about needing Adam all the time?" Archer asked, raising an eyebrow. "From what she said, this Thinker thing managed to turn back a big daddy. I think it can handle the two of you."

"One of us." Davian corrected. "Amelia can't go back to being a normal human anymore. The slug has been in her stomach for too long. Anotherthing you'd have known if you'd been paying attention when Tenenbaum was talking. I don't mind losing my plasmids, and I'm sure she's telling the truth when she said that there's no real danger in the operation. I just wish she hadn't been so descriptive when telling me what was going to happen."

"Right." Archer said, shrugging again. "Well good luck with that. I'm sure it can't be half as painful as she made it sound. If you'll excuse me, I need to go to the highest point I can find and get some sun. Can't believe I've been missing out on this stuff for so long. Be sure to tell me how you settle into your new home later!"

In typical Archer fashion, the young man left Davian feeling more than a little annoyed. Rolling his eyes, he took Amelia's hand once more and the two of them resumed their walk. Their goal was now in sight.

Sitting at the base of a small hill was an out of the way home which almost looked like an old hotel. It was larger than a normal home, but not large enough to be any kind of recreational building. A beaten dirt road was the only thing that led to it, and it was at least half an hour's drive away from the city. It was quiet, calm, and out of the way. An ideal spot for them to stay until they found their own place and better acclimated to the surface world.

"Looks nice." Davian remarked, gently rubbing Amelia's shoulder which felt about as tense as a solid steel spring. "You need to relax. Once we have a roof over our head, you'll feel more at home and won't need to worry about falling up anymore."

She let out an indignant noise, turning to him with a blush coloring her features. Ever since they'd come to the surface, the sky had been a source of both wonder and fear for her. It was large, imposing, and utterly unfamiliar. A vast expanse of emptiness hanging above their heads with nothing to keep them from just being drawn into it other than something as feeble as gravity. Though there wasn't a lot she missed from Rapture, the comforting presence of the solid ocean was vastly preferable to this.

Seeing her pout, Davian had to struggle to keep from laughing.

"Aw, come on. It's not going to hurt you." He said, not entirely succeeding at keeping a straight face as they approached the house. "Here, just sit back and relax. I can do the talking."

He couldn't see her eyes behind the sunglasses, but he was willing to bet that they narrowed down sharply. She stuck her tongue out at him before turning to face forwards with a huff.

Davian held in silent laughter as he stepped up and knocked on the wooden door.

For a long while, the two of them waited patiently on the porch. When nobody answered, Davian reached up to knock again. He struck the door more solidly this time, making sure that whoever was inside would be able to hear.

This time they got a reaction. There was a sound of commotion coming from inside, followed by a crash and the sound of something rolling on the floor. Several female voices sounded at once, some scolding, others laughing, and one impartial. Davian and Amelia both exchanged a look, not sure what to make of this place.

"Maybe we came at a bad time…?" He ventured, earning a shrug from his companion.

Another bout of waiting followed. Growing slightly annoyed, Davian raised his hand to knock a third time only to have the door swing open. He had to quickly draw back his hand to avoid smacking the person on the other side in the face.

A teenage girl stood inside, looking as though she'd only just gotten out of bed. Her brunette hair was in disheveled strands, and she was holding several hairclips in her mouth while using her fingers to comb through the mess on her head. After finishing her morning grooming, she removed the hairpins and began fixing them into place while turning a curios gaze to the people standing at the entrance to her home.

"Yeah?" She asked, taking in the pair with mild interest. "Did you need something?"

"Uh… kind of. I'm Davian and this is Amelia." He began. "Tenenbaum told us we'd be staying here for a little while until we found a place of our own. Did she not mention that to you? Please tell me she mentioned it."

The girl paused her actions, frowning in concentration as she looked them over once again. After a moment, her eyes lit up with realization.

"Oh! You're the ones that daddy's friend was talking about!" Not waiting to hear his response, she turned and ran back inside the house. "Daddy! They're here! Yea, those people you were telling us to expect!"

Davian stood in a state of confusion as the door hung half-open and several new voices sounded from inside. Turning to Amelia, he could see that she was looking just as disoriented as he was.

Footsteps approaching from indoors prompted him to turn back to the entrance. It wasn't long before the door opened up fully once again and a middle-aged man was looking down at him.

Time had not been overly kind to the man as his face held more lines than one would expect, and his hair was starting to turn grey. Even so, there was a kind of strength in his eyes and posture that belied his appearance. Davian was about to introduce himself once more when he spotted something that stole his words away before they'd even taken shape.

"Holy hell…"

Tattooed in black ink around the man's wrists was a pair of chains. Nobody who'd lived in Rapture could ever mistake those markings. Tenenbaum hadn't just dropped them off with anybody.

"Jack Ryan at your service." He greeted, using the palm of his hand to wipe the sleep out of his eyes. "You must be Davian and Amelia. The doctor told me you'd be coming, though I hadn't expected it to be so early in the morning."

Davian said nothing, staring in awe at the near-mythical figure in front of him. Jack raised an eyebrow at the lack of a response and took a closer look at the two of them.

"Huh. I was expecting someone a bit older from what she'd been describing." He commented, leaning on the doorframe. "A bit more twisted too. You look awfully tame to be a splicer."

A nervous chuckle worked its way up from Davian's chest as he backed up slightly.

"W-Well, if it makes you feel any better, I was expecting someone a bit less… uh… legendary." He offered. "She didn't really mention that we'd be staying with someone who nearly tore Rapture apart."

"That shouldn't be a problem, should it?" Jack asked, an amused grin on his face.

"N-No sir! Of course not!" Davian answered quickly. "Just a bit… uh… unexpected is all. That won't be a problem, right Amelia?"

He turned to his side and his heart nearly stopped at what he saw. The big sister standing next to him was observing Jack with the same kind of intense expression she normally wore when getting ready for a fight. She was sizing him up.

"Stop it!" Davian hissed, elbowing her in the side. "Don't even think about it!"

She shot him an annoyed glance and a grumble. It was very clear from her body language that she didn't get what made this guy so special, and Davian wasn't about to let her test their host.

"Sorry about that." He offered, turning back to Jack. "She's still getting used to being around new people. After what she's gone through, she's better at making enemies than friends."

"Don't worry about it." The man assured, observing her with a slightly sad expression much to her confusion. "Tenenbaum told me all about her and about those like her."

The group lapsed into silence. Davian could tell that there was some kind of connection being drawn, but for the life of him he couldn't tell what. After a moment, Jack shook his head and went on.

"Anyway. It can get a bit cramped around here." He began. "I've got a group of girls to look after, and Elly stops by every now and then which leaves even less room. Still, we should be able to fit in two more."

"Elly?" Davian asked. The name was familiar, but he didn't know where he'd heard it before.

Jack paused for a second before drawing a hand up to his face and groaning.

"Great. They've got me calling her that now too, don't they." He sighed. "That's the girls' nickname for her. You probably know her better as Eleanor Lamb."

In that instant, Davian felt like someone had just set off a bomb in his chest. Amelia tensed up at his side, actually starting to shake at the mention of the girl's name. Seeing the change in atmosphere, Jack frowned.

"You two all right?" He asked.

Davian didn't answer, instead turning to the trembling sister. Hesitantly placing a hand on her shoulder, he drew back in a rush as she flinched at the touch. After a pause, he reached forward and placed it down again. With a slow motion he pulled her into a light hug.

Jack stood in the open doorway watching for a moment before deciding that this was a private affair.

"How about I go get some breakfast ready?" He asked, more to let them know than anything. "When you two are ready, you can head inside and make yourselves at home. I'm sure there'll be plenty of time for introductions afterwards."

Davian nodded, exchanging a grateful look with him as he closed the door. For several minutes, he simply stood there on the porch holding onto Amelia. As disturbing as the idea sounded, she was genuinely scared. Though he himself was terrified half to death of sharing a home with someone who'd become very well known for his ability to kill splicers, she took priority right now.

When she started to calm down, he drew back slightly. Just enough to look her in the face.

"Hey… It'll be all right." He said, putting on a brave face. "I know she brings up bad memories, but we'll get through it together."

After a short pause, he fell back on a phrase that had carried him through some of the worst days of his life. It was one he'd never forgotten, and never would forget as long as he lived.

"You'll see. No matter what happens it'll be all right in the end."

Her muscles loosened ever so slightly at his words. She looked back at him, the silent question plain on her face.

"Yes. It will. We'll find a way to make it better." He assured. "I promise."

Very slowly, she started to relax. At an unspoken signal the two of them leaned forwards and their lips met. It didn't have the same electrical sensation of the kiss they'd shared in Rapture, but it was infinitely more comforting and filled with warmth. It was a promise. To each other and to themselves.

When at last they broke apart, Davian took her hand, placing his palm over the back of it.

"We'll do it together, all right?" He asked, waiting for her response before proceeding any further. She shivered, but nodded in consent.

Taking their joined hands, he placed them over the doorknob. Together, they turned the handle and stepped through.

Nine months, forty six chapters, and one hundred and sixty thousand words. I'd like to take a moment to say a huge thank you to everybody who's been with me during the span of this story. Both those who've helped me directly and indirectly with everything ranging from advice, to pointers, to support, to simply being there and reading.

It's been one heck of a ride, and I couldn't have done it without you.

Until next time, this is Disciple of Ember, signing off.