Epilogue

While Rachel didn't know how she got there, she recognized her surroundings instantly. She stood in her childhood backyard. Her family had an acre of Colorado land, so she used to run wild with Rick and Melinda. In front of her was the tiny stream, really a trickle of water through the property, much too shallow to swim in. Instead they pretended it was everything...a moat for a castle, the deepest ocean, the setting for a pirate showdown...

"Seemed bigger back then, didn't it?"

Rachel whirled around to find Melinda next to her. "What are you doing here?"

"I was about to ask you the same," Melinda answered, her arms crossed. "What are you doing in my dream? This is a dream, isn't it?"

That made the most sense. After everything Rachel experienced recently, having the same dream as her sister seemed tame. "I'm a little nervous now," she confessed. "What if this is connected to Nephalem? One of the books said they can manipulate dreams."

"Don't be afraid, Rachel. You aren't here because of a Nephalem."

The sisters gasped in near-unison, stunned by their brother's voice. "Ricky?" Rachel called, both looking around frantically. "Where are..."

He stood a few feet away from them, staring out at the water. "Rick," Melinda whispered with tears in her eyes. "Is this real? Are you...you? Or is this just a dream?"

"It's me. I'm sending you a message." This time they noticed something odd – his mouth didn't move when he spoke. Rachel figured it must have been a dream quirk. She couldn't care about that when her brother was right there...

Wait, was he real? Could she...

Rachel hesitantly stepped forward. Old habits kicked in and she playfully punched his arm, testing to see if he was real. She grinned when he raised an eyebrow at her and rubbed his shoulder. "What was that?" his voice asked.

"A test. You passed." Rachel hugged him tight, tears running down her face as she reunited with her twin brother. "How is this possible?" she muttered through her tears.

After realizing Rick was really there, Melinda rushed forward and hugged them both. "Oh my God," she said as they all stepped back. "How are you here? I guess Molly meant it when she said you were at peace. You are at peace, right?" Molly, Fiona and Jack appeared back at the condo well after midnight, almost closer to sunrise. They promised details after a few hours of desperately-needed sleep.

"I am, but I couldn't leave for good without seeing you," Rick's voice explained. "You both made sacrifices to save me, while enduring a great deal of emotional turmoil. My superiors agreed that you deserved a reward." Before they could ask more questions, he continued. "And it didn't seem fair. You went through all this hoping you could see me again. We should get our good-byes too."

Rachel nodded slowly, not trusting her own voice at first. The emotion overwhelmed her. "W-well...I guess we'll get the details from Molly and the kids. I'm just so happy you're okay. Melinda and I were worried sick when we saw you before."

"So Rick, why did you choose our old backyard? Nostalgia?" Melinda asked, gesturing to their picturesque surroundings.

"Yes. I tried to think of a place that meant something to all three of us. This stuck out in my mind." Rick shrugged, glancing back at the stream. "You're right, Melinda. It's smaller than I remember. I guess we were smaller then too."

Rachel let out a long sigh as she crossed her arms. "We had big imaginations back then, but none of us could've imagined all this. We were so normal when we were kids."

"What childhood are you remembering?" Melinda argued with a smirk. "On the surface, yeah, our lives were normal. But we never fit in. It was worse for me because you two had each other." At Rachel's confused look, she explained, "People always told us we were old souls, remember? We noticed everything and constantly got into trouble."

Grimacing, Rachel closed her eyes for a second. Melinda's reminder brought back a flood of unwanted childhood memories – most of them embarrassing and painful. She usually tried to forget all the work it took to develop her lawyer polish. Even then, she was still too opinionated, too curious, too insightful. Her assistant insisted she had psychic abilities...

Oh.

Rachel's eyes snapped open as she gasped. When her siblings gave her confused glances, she explained, "That's it, isn't it? 'The sight,' or whatever you call it, that other sense Ricky and Fiona share. What everyone says Mel and I have too. We've all been using it in different ways, haven't we? Mel and her acting, you and the paranormal..." She let out a deep breath. "Me and my law career. We always knew things we shouldn't know, saw what we couldn't have seen."

"Oh my God," Melinda whispered, looking to Rick for confirmation. "She's right, isn't she? Everyone always says how good I am at interpreting character motivation, how I become characters. I'm not bragging either...it's exhausting, draining. Especially if I'm rehearsing with really good actors."

Rick smiled at their realizations. "This is one of the reasons I'm here. We've used our heightened senses our whole lives without knowing it. Once I learned of this sense, I opened myself to it. I was able to see paranormal phenomenon more than ever before..."

"And it led to your death," Rachel pointed out, too upset to apologize for her bluntness. Melinda raised an eyebrow but didn't interrupt. "Don't get me wrong, talking to you is an amazing gift. But if I open myself to this...if we open ourselves...we'll face the same dangers as Molly, Jack and Fi. I'd do anything to help those three, but God, I don't know how they deal with it all."

To her relief, Rick didn't seem upset by her accusations. "I understand why you would feel that way, especially after everything you've experienced. But it's different for you two because you're not as involved. I chose to pursue those cases and find things...even when it might've been ill-advised."

Rachel instantly felt guilty for blaming him. "Don't do that to yourself, Rick. You couldn't have known where all this would lead." She sighed, realizing she'd contradicted her own argument. "So I guess I can't either. Alright, I'll try, but I can't promise I'll like it."

Her siblings laughed. "I'm interested in this, actually," Melinda said. "Maybe we can learn to control it to an extent. Where do we start?"

"Molly's mother would be able to guide you," Rick explained. "You won't have abilities like Molly, Fi and Jack, but you'll be more aware of the sight while you're experiencing it. And yes, possibly control the intensity." He gave his sisters a proud smile. "I'm so glad you're accepting who you are. Despite everything thrown at you, you've both been strong, always determined to save me. I can't say enough how grateful I am."

Tears in their eyes, Rachel and Melinda needed a moment before they could speak. Rachel didn't even know what to say. This was amazing to her because, after a lifetime of talking nonstop, she couldn't come up with the right words. How could she say something when it might be the last thing she said to her brother?

All this was why Melinda replied first. "There's nothing to be grateful for, Rick," she said through her tears. "We're your sisters. Of course we'll do anything to save you."

"Even get possessed by a Will 'o the Wisp," Rick teased. "I've seen a lot of weird things...but really, Mel? How did any of you think that was a good idea?"

Rachel laughed despite her watery eyes. "We didn't, I assure you. Molly was ready to cast a spell on her to make her stop. I personally would've enjoyed seeing that."

"Of course you would," Melinda retorted defensively. "I can only imagine what you would've done to me with witch powers when we were kids. As it is I remember you knocking me into that stream over there plenty of times..."

"Oh stop, you loved it! We were playing! And Ricky pushed you way more than I did."

"I did not!" Rick teased back, enjoying their argument. "It was usually both of us, and you were always the instigator..."

"Only because Mel would never leave me alone..."

"What else was I supposed to do?" Melinda cut in. "You two were always conspiring and using that stupid code. It was self-defense ninety-percent of the time..."

"And the other ten?"

The three of them happily continued bickering in their old backyard, reliving the best moments of their childhood.

Rachel woke up in her bed way too soon. Why did the dream have to end?

A message, Rick had called it. Did it really happen? She needed to ask Melinda about for confirmation. After that amazing experience, she wanted to talk about it right then and there.

But it would have to wait until later. A quick glanced at the clock showed it was almost eight. While she normally woke up that early, even on the weekend, she knew everyone would need more sleep after their eventful night. She could use another hour or two herself.

Afraid she might forget the dream, Rachel wrote a few quick notes in the notebook she kept in her nightstand. Then she went back to sleep.

Fiona loved hearing about her aunts' dream over their late breakfast. It made her so happy knowing the siblings also got to say good-bye. At the same time she felt sadness in her heart, already missing her father's ghostly presence in her life. She worried about losing the connection she'd formed in recent years.

But then again, wasn't that why she'd searched for him? She never had any memories of him growing up. Now at least...at least she had this. Rescuing him led to more time with her father than she ever could imagine. Fiona would repeat those moments on an endless loop in her mind until she could recite them word for word. Briefly she wondered if there was a spell to record memories – if not, maybe she could create one.

Since no one had any energy to do anything, they spent the morning catching up. Jack had crashed on the big club chair in Rachel's living room. After falling asleep sitting upright, he wandered around the condo while they talked, hoping to loosen stiff joints. Meanwhile, Rachel and Melinda recapped going home after In Between. For the most part it was uneventful, with Rachel tending to her sister's bruises. They tried to wait up but couldn't make it. Rachel almost fell asleep in the chair herself, shuffling off to her bed sometime after one.

A short time later, Molly and Fiona sent Jack home the magical way. It would be excessive to buy a last-minute plane ticket. On the other hand, Molly and Fiona had round-trip tickets, so they needed to fly home the regular way. As much as Fiona wanted to be home, she didn't mind this so much. She actually wanted her life to return to normal – whatever that was. Using a plane instead of magic would be a good first step.

As she rolled her suitcase out to the living room, Fiona saw that her mother already stacked their other bags up near the couch. Molly, Melinda and Rachel sat around the kitchen, having one last cup of coffee before they left for the airport. "I would never usually drink coffee before a flight," Molly was saying. "But I'm so tired, I'll still fall right asleep as soon as we board. This will keep me going until then."

"Same here," Fiona said, joining the conversation. "Any chance you'll let me in on that coffee?"

Rachel shook her head. "You're too young. As for me, I've stopped growing and need several cups just to function."

"Strange, isn't it?" Melinda wondered aloud. "Fi's too young for coffee, but she's old enough to go into another dimension and fight evil."

After everyone considered this for a minute, Rachel gave her niece a stubborn look. "I don't care. You're still not getting coffee."

They all burst into laughter. Recovering first, Molly said, "I really am sorry for ruining our weekend. We should've gone out for every meal, shopped a lot more and maybe squeezed in a spa day. Instead..."

"We got to see Rick again," Melinda pointed out, refusing Molly's apology. "It was a great weekend, Molly. Not what we planned, but we're all much closer because of it. Wasn't that the point in the first place?"

Fiona smiled at her mother. "Aunt Melinda's right, Mom. We didn't do most of what we'd planned, but I wouldn't trade this weekend for anything."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Molly grumbled. She glanced at Melinda with guilt all over her face. "Are you sure your arm's okay? Again, I'm so, so sorry about that."

Melinda answered by moving her bent arm in a slow circle. "See? Full range of motion. Relax, I'm glad you kicked that pest while you had the chance."

"'Pest' is a nicer word than I would've used," Rachel commented.

"Not while Fiona's around to hear it. She might be a powerful witch now, but she's still a teenager and my niece."

Soon after, they began saying their good-byes. Rachel was driving them to the airport, but things would be too chaotic once they arrived. As for Melinda, she had rehearsal before that night's performance and couldn't go with them. While she admitted to feeling a little sore, she didn't want to miss another day.

"You have to come visit me, Ron and the kids next," Melinda insisted as she hugged Fiona. "Maybe we can redo this trip. Rachel, you should come too."

Molly raised an eyebrow. "I'd love to see them, but after the chaos this weekend..."

Slightly annoyed, Melinda waved a dismissive hand. "Molly, please stop apologizing for things that aren't your fault. You're family and I want you to visit, end of story."

"Alright then," Molly replied with a smile. The two sisters-in-law hugged good-bye. "We'll set up something soon, I promise. Rachel, let us know when you're free."

As she hugged Fiona, Rachel said, "Sounds great. Now that I've seen Fi and Jack, it's only fair to visit my other nieces. It's been way too long since I've flown out...or left New York, really."

"That's because you work too hard," Fiona teased, her aunt's arm still around her shoulders. She glanced over at her mother. "Can we visit Aunt Melinda soon? We haven't seen the twins in over a year!"

"I'll have to check the tour schedule, but we should be able to squeeze in a weekend."

"It'll be easier now that you don't need a plane," Melinda teased.

Fiona and Molly exchanged surprised looks. "Um, are you sure about that, Aunt Melinda? Won't Uncle Ron and the twins have a lot of questions?"

"I-I can't keep this from them," Melinda confessed, suddenly emotional. "I can't keep a secret as big as this one from my husband and kids. If you don't want me to tell them...I can try, but I would never feel good about it. I'd probably make myself sick over it."

Fiona felt bad her aunt worried about something that wasn't even an issue – she didn't like keeping secrets either. It was a relief that she could share this with her cousins, who loved her website and the paranormal by extension. (Sometimes Fiona wondered if her cousins only liked the paranormal because their 'cool older cousin' did.) She wouldn't feel right hiding this either, not when the twins were always so excited to hear about her experiences.

"Mom...we have to tell them," Fiona said, turning to her mother. "It's not fair to Aunt Melinda if we don't. And I want the twins to know too."

Clearly outnumbered, Molly let out a resigned sigh.

Molly and Fiona arrived home almost seven hours later (two of those hours were spent waiting at the airport). Though exhausted, Molly invited Irene and Ned in for coffee. They both picked her up from the airport and she felt bad sending them back home. More than that, Molly suspected Irene tagged along because she wanted the details. Molly called in the morning just to say her family was safe again, but after everything she put Irene through, the best friends needed to have a long talk. She hoped she could give a short explanation and save the rest for the next day.

After saying a quick hello to Jack, Fiona went straight to bed despite the early hour. Molly, Irene and Ned sat around the kitchen table, each with a cup of coffee. She gave the quickest recap she could, but even with leaving out some details, it still took her over an hour.

"Well," Irene finally said, putting down her coffee. "After all that, I guess I have to forgive you for making Jack disappear. Though I'd appreciate some warning next time."

"Hopefully there won't be a 'next time,'" Ned commented.

"Right, that too."

Molly laughed, happy to be home with her best friends. "I'm so sorry, Irene. All of this happened so fast, and none of it was planned. We just did the best we could."

"I know, I'm glad everything worked out." Irene tilted her head at Molly. "We'll have to talk about your career, though. I did a little searching and was surprised by how often fans suspected you of being a witch. Fiona's website doesn't help either. We all need to decide a course of action on this."

Ned shrugged. "If you ask me, you should go with it. People love a good conspiracy, and according to this Noah guy, witches are big fans of your music."

"I don't think I'm ready for that yet," Molly confessed. She couldn't imagine talking about magic with strangers. "Melinda had the same suggestion, but right now I just...need to process. A lot happened this weekend."

"That's an understatement." Irene hesitated, looking at Molly with sympathy in her eyes. "How are you after all this? Are you okay?"

She'd been expecting Irene's question. Molly sighed, not sure of the answer herself. "It feels like I lost him again," she whispered, her eyes becoming watery. "Seeing him...talking to him...you don't think it's possible, you know? Then I actually did and it felt exactly the same. Like nothing changed at all in more than a decade. It hurts so much..."

"I'm so sorry, Molly," Irene said, moving over to Molly's side. Molly leaned on her friend's shoulder, trying to hold the tears back and not succeeding. Meanwhile, Ned looked concerned but didn't know how to help.

"No, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..." Molly shook her head, forcing the emotion down. She wondered if that would ever change. It hadn't in thirteen years, and now she was starting over again. "I-It's different now, I think," she said as she wiped away tears. "Since the accident, I...I could always feel him, even if I refused to admit it. Subconsciously I knew he was reaching out to me and the kids. This time...I got to say good-bye. Now I know he's finally at peace."

"Are we having company?"

Melinda froze in the middle of fluffing a couch pillow. Her husband stood in the doorway to the kitchen, his head tilted in confusion. She should've realized he would notice her getting ready for Molly and the kids. At this point she couldn't put it off any longer. "Um...yes, we are. You're fine though."

Ron still wore his dress shirt and slacks from work. A slender man with short brown hair, he was an accountant who wore a suit every day of the week. Many wondered how the unlikely pair fell in love, but to Melinda, it made perfect sense. She brought out his fun, adventurous side, while he kept her grounded with real-world logic. He did always kept an open mind, but Melinda knew this secret would test his limits.

"That's it? 'We're having company, you look fine'?" Ron exclaimed in disbelief. "Why the secrecy, Mel? Don't think I haven't worried about you since you've been back from New York. I'm so happy your play was a success, but something's off and I can't put my finger on it. Are you ever going to tell me what happened?"

That was an ironic question. Holding back a smile, Melinda patted the couch, indicating for him to sit. When he did, she let out a deep breath and braced for the worst. "Ron, that trip was...life-changing, in more ways than one." Because a producer saw the play, she'd been invited to audition for another show in Seattle. Rehearsals began next week. "Something did happen the weekend Molly and Fiona visited. It's...it's related to Fiona's website. You know, the one the girls have been obsessed with for years."

"Oh." Ron looked uncomfortable just talking about it. "Look, I love Fiona, but you have to admit her website's a little concerning. Either that or she should pursue a creative writing career. I've always told the girls it's all make-believe."

Melinda remembered this. Thinking about it now, she felt a little guilty for agreeing with Ron most of the time. "What if it wasn't make-believe?" she whispered.

"What?"

"Don't you wonder sometimes?" Melinda challenged. "Haven't you ever believed in things that would sound crazy to other people?"

To be fair, Ron gave the question serious thought. "Once," he admitted quietly. "I might've seen a ghost when I was camping with my friends. I just remember this transparent figure in the middle of the woods. Everyone else drank, but I didn't even have a beer because I was already nervous about camping. Never could explain what I saw – and never told a soul until now."

"Why didn't you tell me?" Melinda asked, startled by her husband's confession.

"Same reason I didn't tell anyone else. I thought you wouldn't believe me."

"Mom! Dad!"

Maggie and Miranda ran down the stairs, their eyes wide with excitement as they continuously yelled for the parents. "Fi has a surprise for us!" Maggie exclaimed.

"She just messaged us on her website," Miranda bragged. While they were both preteens now, they held onto their hero-worship of Fiona. "She said we should wait in the living room!"

Ron gave Melinda a perplexed glance. "What does that mean? Are they here in Seattle?"

"Not just yet," Melinda replied cryptically.

As the girls joined their parents, the air by the door became wavy. Ron shook his head and rubbed his eyes. "What the..."

"It's the spell, Dad!" Miranda explained.

"The what?"

When the wavy air cleared, Molly, Fiona and Jack stood in the entryway. Each carried a small bag with enough clothes for the weekend. Molly and Jack seemed a little nervous, but Fiona smiled at her aunt. "You were right. It's much easier this way."

"Fi!" The twins had been stunned speechless for only a moment, soon finding their voices and racing each other to hug their cousin. They almost knocked Fiona off her feet on impact.

"You really are a witch!"

"Maggie, we already knew that! She conjured the dragon, didn't she?"

"But now everyone knows it!"

Laughing as she hugged Molly and Jack, Melinda glanced at Fiona. "Dragon?"

"I'll tell you later."

Melinda looked back at her husband. He'd gone paler than usual and couldn't form a coherent sentence. His eyes wide, he looked around the room in stunned silence, alternating between the unexpected guests and his wife.

This would be a long night.