Blinky remained at the Lake household for almost an entire week, recovering and regaining his strength. During this time Jim spent quite a bit of his free time down in the sun-proof basement with his 'father,' enjoying one another's company and studying some Troll lore, just so the Trollhunter didn't get too far behind on his training, and Draal took over the more physical aspect of the work in the backyard where Blinky could watch from the comfort of a lawn chair.

When he was finally up to returning to Trollmarket the scholar was understandably unnerved, especially when Vendel was one of the first Trolls to see him moving slowly and carefully down the street, arm still in a sling with Jim on one side and Aaarrrggghh on the other for extra safety. But other than informing him that he was not to be permitted into the Vault without supervision until further notice, and quietly praised for his bravery and deeds 'befitting the trainer of the Trollhunter' nothing more was said. So life returned to normal for the Trollhunters... with two small exceptions. The first being that Blinky did end up with a circular scar on his shoulder, gray stone against his blue hide, a reminder of that night's battle.

And the other being the deepening of the bond between trainer and Trollhunter.

"Well done, Master Jim!" Always Master Jim in public, or at least where others aside from their select circle of friends could hear just to be proper, but what that truly meant was never in question:

My son!

And always a quick flash of a smile in return, unspoken sentiment loud and clear:

Thanks, dad!

000000000

Far Elsewhere...

A door opened and a late-twenties woman entered an office.

"You requested to speak to me, ma'am?" She stood at attention as the other woman seated at the desk opposite regarded her.

"Yes I did. I read your report several times, Sub-Commander, and I commend you for it."

"Ma'am?" The woman at the desk swiveled her chair to the side, looking at a map of the globe studded with pins.

"Do you know what my predecessor told me about fanatics in our organization before he retired?"

"No, ma'am."

"They will be your most useful assets, but also one of the most dangerous. They will either drive the Order to great heights, or wreck it to its foundation. Their blind fanaticism will eventually destroy them. Know when you cut them off before they take you with them, but until that moment comes use them every chance you get." She absently lifted a file and let it slide across the desk so a loose picture slid out:

James Lake Sr.

"Commander – ahem, former Commander Lake was one such fanatic, and I saw that he was outliving his usefulness. It was time for him to leave our organization."

"The mission to Arcadia Oaks."

"Yes. I knew that mission would be his undoing. What I didn't expect was for him to survive the encounter with the – creatures living there."

"Do we need to take action?"

"No, I believe his family has already done that for us. Unless my sources in the hospital were highly mistaken, he should be on his way to Sunrise Ridge Mental Institution right about now."

"An institutions?"

"Well, when you come out of an unconscious state in a hospital and immediately start screaming about monsters and magic, those who are most certainly sane tend to believe you are not." The woman at the desk tapped the file with a finger. "I believe his ex-wife works at the hospital, and the staff were so concerned for his behavior and ranting that included his own son the administration gave her an unexpected week paid vacation, so she wouldn't have to be there, and as I understand she is in the process of a restraining order against him. After all, he did approach their son at his school, and seemingly upset him so much by his words that he had to get away with a friend for a while, camping out of the area. Even if James Sr eventually is persuaded that he indeed made everything up – about us, the monsters, his brother's death, his son – it is highly unlikely he will be permitted within a mile of Arcadia Oaks again."

"So he is no longer a concern." The Sub-Commander's words revealed no emotional reaction to the news. She might as well have been hearing about a stranger.

"None at all."

"And his son? Arcadia Oaks?"

"Sadly, Lake's actions drew too much attention. I've withdrawn all our active agents in the area save two, who are deep undercover. They'll monitor things and report back to me, but other than that will take no action regardless of what they observe. Eventually, we may return there."

"May?" The woman at the desk was quiet for a moment, then asked a question of her own.

"How accurate were you in your report?"

"Perfectly so, ma'am."

"You could not have been mistaken about any point?"

"No, not one."

"And so when you spoke of how you fell from the girders...?" The Sub-Commander nodded.

"I thought I was falling to my death, but one of the... creatures... came charging towards me. I could only see a little as most of the lights had been put out, but he jumped at me. I saw his green glowing eyes and glowing marks on his body, and I thought he would kill me. But he caught me, set me on the ground, and growled at me to run." The woman at the desk nodded; she'd recited the report word for word.

"Thank you, Commander. That will be all." The now-Commander stiffened briefly at the sudden promotion, but nodded and saluted.

"Yes, Grand Commander." She left.

The Grand Commander sat at her desk for a couple of minutes longer, musing over things. Then she pulled over a digital tape recorder and pressed play, listening once more to the words that played:

"You and yours are getting into a War that you know nothing about! You're a third side, and not wanted! You'll do nothing but get in the way, so take my advice and get out while you still can."

"Oh are we, Jim Lake?" She asked the empty room, turning off the recorder that had picked up everything James Sr's discarded earpiece had received and picking up a new file. It was thin, though she had a feeling it would be quite thick soon enough. Opening it she skimmed the cover page's title:

James Lake, Jr.

Aliases: "Jim," "Master Jim," "Trollhunter"

Status: Undetermined

"Yes, there is much to learn indeed!"

((And at last, Fin! Thank you everyone, both reviewers and readers, for following along with me on this journey. I have to say with 91 Reviews at the time of this Epilogue's posting and almost 6500 views, you have reaffirmed for me that I am more than capable of writing in the Trollhunters fandom. I admit at the start of this, somewhere around chapter 2 or 3, I actually was balking at finishing it. I had no real idea where I was going with it, if the plot actually made sense or if it was a bit of manic floof in my head - I'd even considered stopping it altogether, despite being in love with the scene in the battle where Blinky called Jim his son, and Jim's reply in chapter 14. But almost every time I'd wonder I'd get another review, or see the views and favorites and followings scroll up more, and I'd be like 'No, I can't quit on this one. I can't quit on -them!-' So thank you, so very much!))