Colourless Roman faded quickly by the time it had taken to get the others to understand what he meant.

"What the-" Roman said, returning to his normal self. "Where am I?"

Virgil hugged him tightly, communicating everything he couldn't think so say out loud. "You're back." Was all he whispered.

Meanwhile, Patton, Who was clinging to Logan and crying, began the slow regain of his colour as Logan patted his back.

If Logan wasn't good at something, it was comfort. But that seemed to be okay, but from the fact that Patton was beginning to slow his sobs, Logan must be doing something right.

"Patton," he said softly. "It's okay. I've got you."

And that was all Patton needed for now.

"Lets go," Virgil said. "Lets get out of here. I hate it."

The slow walk to the fire exit began with Joan leading the way while Talyn followed. Roman was chuckling at Virgil, Who wouldn't let go of his arm.

Patton was clinging to Logan, who carried him bridal style, and Picani and Remy followed behind slowly, knowing they wouldn't be able to leave like the others.

They weren't really real.

De was next to Remy, incomplete silence, smiling and holding his hand. They couldn't say goodbye to each other. It was too difficult.

The fire exit came too quickly for their liking.

"So..." Remy began with a discreet sniff. "I guess... I guess this is goodbye."

"Yeah," De said. "You're going to see so much of me."

"Psssh, I wish." Remy said, tearing up. "I... I'm gonna miss you."

"I won't miss you at all," De said, now crying. "Nope. Not one bit."

Remy chuckles. "You dork," he said, pulling on De's cloak. "You better miss me." He muttered before pulling De down to his face level, and kissing him.

It was so sweet. De tasted like caramel and cake, and Remy tasted like a mouthful of a Starbucks frappe with extra whipped cream.

But it could never last long enough.

Because then De was over by the others, and waving goodbye to someone he thought he'd spend forever with. Someone he wished he'd spent forever with.

The Fire Exit was definitely an exit. The exit out of this simulation? Probably, because it was an endless black void.

When they stepped onto it, words cannot describe the sudden relief they felt. Imagine having some weird knot at the back of your head and at the bottom of your feet you just can't get rid of. It's tight and it hurts every time you move.

Eventually, you get used to it, but it still seems to hurt.

And then one day, it's let go. It's not there anymore. You're free to run, and fly, and dance and everything feels so free.

That's why this was so relieving.

A bright light, and they were back in Thomas' lounge. All of them. But no Thomas to be seen.

"If were in the real world," Logan says. "Would Thomas also be here or do we need to form him?"

"No, I think Thomas's should be here," Roman says. "Probably."

And, right on cue, in walks Thomas with a plate of spaghetti he has to set down on a table.

"...Guys?" He says. "Is that... really you?"

"Hopefully," Joan remarks. "I don't really want to be fake at this point."

And they're enveloped in the biggest hug of their lives. It's like being squished from every side with something big and warm. Like a teddy bear.

"I'm so glad you're home." Thomas smiles. "I.. I missed you."

"Where did we go?" Virgil asks. "Have you been here the whole time?"

"Well, yeah," Thomas shrugs. "Kind of just... hanging around. I haven't done much. But you all went to test the new simulation, right?"

"Oh, yeah," Patton chuckles. "About that..."

Virgil finishes. "We are so not going back." He says.

Thomas smiles. "Good, cause I was getting a little lonely without you." He says.

And maybe it wasn't so bad to be in reality. Maybe the fact that things didn't revolve around them, the fact that things didn't always go as planned, the fact that water didn't swish to slow or taste like air here was a good thing.

Sure, simulations meant that they could have where've they wanted or be wherever they wished.

But reality meant they had something even better.

They had unpredictable moments.

And maybe that's why life is so much better in the moment.

(A/N: time to upload a whole lot on one go because I finished all the chapters and I'm back at school soon.

Anyway, the last part of this book is probably my favourite part but it's not the best I've done. That's okay! (Is it obvious my goal for thanks Year is to be more self accepting? I'm failing so far-)

I'm pretty sure that I'll be able to upload it all today, but my wifi might end up dying on my again so who knows.

-Winter.)