Hey guys! Sorry I totally blanked on this yesterday.... Happy Late Holidays!!!!

Hope you enjoy :)

***

Maddie sat behind a polished wooden desk, her hair pulled back in a neat bun and eyes only hinting at the tears I had watched her shed last night.

"We are here today to discuss the trial of Xander Jones, a minor accused of conspiring against those involved in a branch of the Non-Evo resistance, and of causing the eventual deaths of those who he exposed. Prosecution, you may give your opening statement."

She banged her gavel, the sound harsh in the still morning air, and I flinched right along with Xander.

The next few hours passed quickly, as expected. It'd be a day or two before we knew the verdict--this was a very controversial case, trying to balance the bad choices against the age and innocence of a little boy. It had been on the news for months, and there were strong opinions for both sides.

After the trial, Sofia and I met Maddie in the hall. Against the marble, her skin looked even paler, and for the millionth time, I wished I could help her more.

"Come on," Sofia said softly. "We'll drop you at home."

"Thanks," she replied. "I'm really glad you're both here."

"Of course," I said, smiling. "You know that Alex and Jax would be here too, if they could."

"Yeah," she said quietly. "I really just wish this whole thing was over."

"We all do."

"Hey, Maddie--I think you've got a visitor," Sofia said, surprisingly cheerful. We all peered out the window, seeing Jasper standing near the front door with a bouquet of white flowers. Maddie got out of the car, a small smile gracing her lips, and went to talk to him.

Sofia and I watched, giggling slightly as we watched their awkward exchange. "Twenty bucks says they're together by the end of the week."

"Make it end of the month and you're on," I countered, climbing up to ride shotgun and strapping in.

"Speaking of romantic things, how are you and Alex?"

"Good," I said, amused. "You ask me that every time we see each other, and I always feel guilty for not having more to report."

"Well, you guys are approaching what? Two years now? I'm waiting for the juicy gossip to start springing up."

I laughed again. "Sorry, no gossip as of yet. We're happy."

"Still, two years... That's serious. Think you'll do anything special?" she asked.

"I don't know," I said, still smiling. My eyes watching streets whiz past, little bakeries and vendors' carts becoming blurs. It was hard to believe that a whole year and a half had passed since the Wrobel had worked with us and attacked the city. It was even harder to believe that a year and a half had passed since we first began to rebuild everything. "Hey, you missed my turn."

"But did I really?" she asked, giving me a mischievous grin.

"Sofia... What's going on?"

"Nothing. I'm just following orders."

"Sofia!" She didn't answer me. In fact, she didn't say anything at all until we pulled up at a brick apartment building in a recently renovated part of the city.

"This is your stop."

"If this ends in me getting brutally murdered, I'm going to kill you," I said as I climbed out, still bewildered.

"Good luck," she responded, winking and then driving away. I spun around, trying to get a feel for my surroundings. I didn't recognize anything, but at the same time, it felt surreally familiar.

"How'd it go?" Alex asked. I whipped around, seeing his smile. He was leaning against the building, hands in his pockets, but I could still tell he was nervous. His clothes were too wrinkle-free for him to have not been pacing and straightening.

"Good," I said. "They think he'll get off without anything more than some community service."

"That's good--tell Maddie I'm rooting for her."

"I will," I answered, still perplexed. "Alex, what are we doing here?"

"Follow me," he said, walking in through the doors. The woman behind the desk waved cheerfully at him, and the weirdness factor kept increasing exponentially.

We walked into the elevator, and he pressed the number six--the top floor. We waited for a moment until the door finally opened with a cheerful little ding, and I stepped out into a small reception area, about the size of my room in the loft I shared with Jax. There was a large window on one side, looking out onto a beautiful view of the city's rooftops, skyscrapers rising in the distance.

Across from us, there was one door, and that was all. Alex walked towards it, pulling out a key and handing it to me. "Go on."

"We can't just walked into someone's apartment!" I exclaimed, my eyes wide. He laughed.

"Trust me."

I stepped forwards, uncertain, and opened the door. Inside, a penthouse suite stood empty. I could see a gleaming kitchen, wide-open living room with plush carpet, and to the side, the open door to what looked like a master bedroom. Most notably, the entire far wall was a glass view of the city.

A very familiar view.

"What are we doing here? What is this?" I asked, turning to face Alex again. He was shifting nervously, but he straightened and smiled at me.

"I'm showing you our new apartment. Assuming you like it."

"I love it. It's beautiful--wait, our?" I asked, still trying to catch up.

"Yes, our," he said, his voice getting stronger as he walked towards me. "Look, I love you. We've been together for almost two years, and it's such a hassle to drive back and forth, so... Why not cut that out and move in together?"

I went breathless for a moment, looking at him with wide eyes.

"There's no pressure if you aren't ready. But if you are... That's your key," he said, nodding at the cool metal resting in my fingers. "So, what do you say?"

"Yes," I said, beaming. "I'd love to move in with you."

"Good," he said, relieved, "because I kind of already told Jax she could take over your closet."

I laughed and hugged him, feeling the pure rightness of it all with every beat of my heart. "Thank you."

"I love you."

"I love you too."

We pulled apart, smiling at each other, and made our way over to the theoretical living room, sitting on the floor. The night was spent eat Chinese food from a place down the street, just sitting together and brainstorming furniture and placement, going way over what either of us could afford.

It didn't matter, though. It didn't matter that we probably wouldn't be able to buy a couch or TV for months, or that we'd have to carry a bed up the stairs ourselves. It was an unspoken agreement: so long as we were together, everything would be fine.

"So, what's that for?" I asked, pointing outside. Our apartment only took up about half of the space available--on the other half, the roof was open, and plots of dirt were scattered here and there.

"Let me show you," he said, standing and offering his calloused hand. We walked outside, warm summer air dancing around us in a faint breeze as the crescent moon shone overhead. The door closed behind us with a soft click, and I glanced back, only to see a mirror image of myself, the city skyline reflected behind me.

Alex looked over and saw my surprise. "I asked them to put in mirrored glass so that other people could come up here without invading our privacy," he said, answering my unasked question.

"Oh. So, where is 'here'?"

"Do you recognize it?" he asked, curious but timid.

I looked out across the city, smelling the faint hint of wildflowers and Mexican food being carried on the wind that was freeing strands of hair from my braid. "Yeah, of course. This is where we came to spy on the Evos. This is where we were when the bomb when off." I paused, looking back at him. "This is where I kissed you."

He smiled back at me. "And, if you'd like, this could be where we go and sit in our rooftop garden."

I looked around at the space, my eyes wide. "That will be a lot of work."

"Not any more than saving the world or rebuilding a city."

I made my way over to him, grinning. "Alright. Let's get started."  

***

Oh, wow, guys... This is actually the end. 

Can you believe we survived?

--Earthstone