A/N: I'm struggling with figuring out how to write this one and that's why it was so long in coming. I know what I want to happen, but the hard part is figuring out how I want to write it… Kevin's POV

Disclaimer: own Mandy, Carson, and Melody. You may not use them without my consent.

'And I am done with your twisted symphony
The words that had me, selling stolen poetry
I tore the pages and I can finally breathe'
~'Everything You're Not', Demi Lovato

Epilogue

I took a deep breath after waving to my mom as I made my way down the front steps of her house. I had locked up the garage that she had let me live in and made my way to the car. I quietly tossed my duffel bag into the backseat before dropping into the driver's seat.

"Are you sure about this, Kevin?" asked Gwen, looking over to her boyfriend with soft and worried eyes. "I trust you, but do you really want to go back to New York again?"

"Gwen," I sighed with a smile, looking over at her lovingly. "You know that I have to. It's for my friends. They're the closest thing I have to family other than my mom and you and Ben." I reached over and took her hand in mine and gave it a slight squeeze. "They're family. You know how I am about that."

She leaned over and rested her head on my shoulder. "I know," she breathed softly, her body curling delicately into mine as I shifted the car into gear and pulled away from the curb. "You're such a… a chivalrous man, Kevin Ethan Levin." She leaned up and kissed my cheek softly.

I snickered for a short moment before craning my neck to kiss her crown of fiery scarlet. "If I knew what that meant, this would be easier." I wrapped one arm around her as I steered the car down the street that led to the garage. "But I'm assuming it's something nice, so I'll just take it and run."

"That's how you are," she said, one of her hands on my bicep. "Just take it and run."

"And you'll take care of the garage for me while I'm gone?" I asked, hoping that she could do the basic things to keep it clean. Just washing the tools when needed. Keep it clean-ish. Not letting Ben in even when he begged. "And check up on my mom?"

Gwen nodded with a smile still dancing across her lips. "Of course. You know I'll take care of the garage and I'll have Ben drop me off at your mom's at least once a week so I can just hang out with her for a little while. You said your step-dad won't be home, right?"

"I'll make sure he won't be around when you go visit. And I promise I will call you every chance I get."

"You'd better," she said, eyes slightly narrowed, but in a playful way with a warm glimmer in them. I knew she wasn't serious. But if she was, I'd be in some serious trouble with her for not calling. But I knew I'd call her every day. No questions asked.

The car found its own way to the garage, the wheel in my careful hand even though I was hardly focusing on the road. We pulled into the large structure and I pulled the keys out of the slot, killing the engine instantly.

Gwen pulled herself away from me with a soft and seductive smile and got out the passenger side door, closing it harshly behind her. She didn't want me to go.

Loyalty was one thing she taught me. It was the one thing that was going to stick with me. I pulled the handle and pushed open the car door, closing it tightly behind me and turning to see Mandy laying across the couch with some sort of hackie-sack in her hands and Carson sitting nearby twirling a wrench between his worn and calloused fingers.

Melody retreated from the backroom and came out into the light. "We ready to get outta here?" she asked, her eyes flicking from me to Gwen and then over to Mandy and Carson. "I wanna go fight some Knights before our lives are over." She flipped her platinum white hair over one shoulder, jeans hanging at her hips limply. She wore one of my old faded blue flannel shirts, a hair tie holding it back so that it was tight against her body.

"Yup," I said, putting a hand on the hood of the car. "Just gotta pack everyone in, drop Gwen off at her place and then we're off to the city."

The redhead's eyes fell to me for a moment, betraying her longing to go with.

Slowly, Carson pulled Mandy off the couch after she tossed the hackie-sack at his head with a smile. Melody migrated to the backseat of the car and crashed there with Mandy and Carson piling in right after her.

Gwen smiled at me warmly one last time before stepping into the passenger seat of the car and closing it behind her.

I stared around the garage, feeling a hole in my heart growing faster than I could stop it. I looked at the dark shadows, staring around the darkness. I had my necessary toolbox in the trunk along with enough tech to last Mandy some time in a fight. Ammo was stacked up high in the back.

Slowly, I dropped myself into the driver's seat and stuck the key back in the ignition. The engine fired up and I grinned to myself, seeing Mandy enjoying whacking Carson in the head with her hackie-sack. Melody just smiled with her arms folded across her chest.

Gwen blinked at me, her hopes and wishes being sent to me in her soft emerald gaze.

I pulled out of the garage, knowing another crazy journey was about to start the second we left Bellwood. Or maybe even the second after we dropped Gwen off.

A/N: check the lyrics on the prologue and then on this. The story was there all along. ^.^ review. The next story will be up when I get around to it and after I finish up on other things. Thanks for reading! I love you all!

~Sky