Disclaimer: Must we go through this…again…

Time-frame: Uh…what was it I said again?

A/N:  Ok, I realize that some people are a little angry with me.  Heck, I'm a little angry with myself.  But that's okay; anger is the second step in the grieving process.  Now together, we'll come to accept it, we'll mourn, and then we'll attempt to move on with our lives.

Epilogue

Through the Darkness, Shines a Light

July 31st, 2021

Dominic knelt in the soft grass, and brushed his fingers over the engraved lettering in the stone:

Here lies

Dalianna Lichelle Korman

July 31st, 2002 to January 26th, 2021

Beloved Sister and Friend, we miss you always

Angels in Heaven, from up above…

"Are looking down on me with love," Dominic whispered as his finger traced the familiar words.  It had been six months and five days since his sister had left the world, and every day was a struggle.  He tilted his head back to drink up some of the rare Seattle sun.

His mind wandered to her last words. "Save…the world."  He knew something big was coming, and whatever it was, they had to be ready for it.  The Conclave had fallen apart after White's untimely demise.  His Aunt Brenda had been found and arrested, thrown in jail for attempted assassination, never again to see the light of day.  And the president's daughter had completely jumped from one ship to the next.  It seemed as though an attempt on her life made her see the error of her ways.  She had fought long and hard, and in the end, rights and freedom for transgenics everywhere was given.

Apparently the population of America wasn't just as fickle.  Sure, most people had settled down, and found something else to occupy their time, leaving the transgenics to do as they pleased, but Dominic still saw signs of hatred for his friends everywhere.  Sometimes, people just gave them weird looks; other times, they hung signs in their windows spouting messages like "Die Trannies Die!" or "Humans and Animals aren't supposed to be equal!".

He grew angry when he saw things like that.  They weren't specifically directed towards him, but they might as well have been.  Still, things were better than they had been before, and that was reason for any kind of celebration you could have.

He laid down his handful of small flowers at the headstone.  "I miss you," he mumbled.  A strong hand gripped his shoulders, and he looked up into the face of the guy who had become like his own brother.

Alec smiled down at the young boy.  They had grown close over the past few months.  Alec could see why Dali had been so protective of him, and he kept his promise to look after him.

He, too, looked down at the headstone before him.  Training at Manticore had taught him to be hardened and indifferent, and Alec in all his naivety had accepted and embraced his teachings.  But after Manticore had burned down, he realized in the real world, it was every man for himself.  And meeting Max had only pushed him to further resolve that it was now that he needed his Manticore training more than ever. 

Especially after everything that had happened with Rachel.  How did this happen?  I promised myself after Rachel, that there would never be another.  Am I a glutton for punishment? Yet thinking back on everything he and Dali had done and been through together, he realized he wouldn't trade a second of it. She had shown Alec that there were good things in this poor-excuse-for-a-world as well.  She had taught him things; shown him the world in a new light, and it had changed him.

Not that he was disregarding everything he knew from before he had met her, old habits were hard to break, but it helped if he believed that she was somewhere watching over him…

In the deep of his pocket a phone rang.  He pulled it out and flipped the cover open.

"Talk to me," he announced.

"Now see, why you gotta answer the phone like that?"  Original Cindy's voice came through loud and clear.

"What can I say Cindy?  I'm a man of a thousand trades: answering the phone, not one of them."

"Ok, smart ass.  Where are you anyway?"

Alec hesitated.  He didn't know if anyone else knew about his frequent trips to Dali's grave.  He and Dominic had bumped into each other there once, and from then on, just went together.

"I'm out," he answered casually, "Who wants to know?"

"Actually, Max wants to know."  Cindy's attitude shone through her voice like a ray of sunshine.

"Is that a fact?  Hey, where are you guys anyway?  I tried calling Max's cell this morning, and nobody answered.  So I tried Logan's place, but nobody answered there either.  I figured maybe they were somewhere together, getting—"

"Alec!" OC cut him off.  "Max is a pregnant woman."

"That doesn't mean anything," he replied with a smirk on his face, though he knew she couldn't see it.  "Pregnant women have needs too."

"Could you at least try to keep your brain in your head and out of your pants?  Just for a minute?  Look, she wants to see you, we're at Harrington Hospital."

The name immediately took Alec back to the hours he and Dali had spent in the closet there.  "The hospital?" his voice took a worried tone.  "Why?  Is she okay?"

Original Cindy smiled in spite of herself.  "She's fine…damn, that girl changed you like no other.  I wish she was still here.  She and Max was the only ones who knew how to keep you in check."

Alec smiled a little to himself.  "Yeah, I wish she was still here too."

"Look, anyways, get your butt here.  Max wants to see you…or be seen by you…whatever, you know what I mean, just get here.  I got work.  Later."  The tone clicked in his ear, and the phone shut off.  He turned to look down at Dominic, who still stood in front of his sister's grave.

"Alright, Sport, we're rollin," he told him confidently.

Shorty looked up at him.  "Where we goin?"

"Hospital, Max wants to see us."

"Why?"

"I don't know," Alex said slowly and carefully.  "But if this another one of her tricks to lure us to the hospital just so she can be sure we have help when she gets done with us…I'd rather find out sooner than later.  Let's ride."

Shorty kissed his fingertips and pressed them to his sister's name.  "Bye, Doll, I'll come by later."  They turned and headed for Alec's bike, leaving the cemetery behind.

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Harrington had cleaned up a bit since the last time Alec had been there.  It smelled nicer, the hallways were brighter, cheerier…even the nurses and aides seemed to be a little happier.  He and Dominic approached the front desk.

"Hi," Alec began cautiously.  He didn't care how happy the nurses looked, especially at the front desk.  They could keep you backed up for hours sitting there waiting to see your loved one, if they so chose.  "We're here to see Max Guevara."

The receptionist looked up at him.  "Relation?" she asked monotonously.

"She's my sister," Alec and Shorty answered simultaneously.  They glanced at each other quickly, and then looked away.

The receptionist looked from one to the other with a raised eyebrow, and then turned to thumb through her book, scanning the list of names.

"Room 324.  Take the stairs to the 3rd floor, end of the hall, make a right, it's the second door on your left, you can't miss it."

"Thanks," Alec mumbled, in a rush to get out of there.  He hoped Dominic had a better sense of direction than he did.

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Max lay in bed watching the few cumulous clouds float by through the open window.  She reached and pulled at the collar of the thin hospital gown.  A small bead of sweat rolled down the side of her head, and she pulled at the strands of hair that were continuously matted to the back of her neck.  It was really warm.  Even with all the steps the hospital had been taking to make sure the patients were comfortable.  A soft breeze rose from outside, coming through the window, providing her with a little relief.

She continued to gaze, thinking about how her life had changed in less than a year.

"Penny for your thoughts," came a soft, familiar voice.

She turned to see Logan standing at the door to her room.  She smiled at him, and slid over so he could sit next to her.  She settled against his shoulder and continued to gaze out the window.

"Just thinkin'," she finally responded.

"About?" he murmured against her hair, breathing in her scent.

"Life," she answered vaguely.

"Anything I know about?"

She sighed.  "I was just wondering about what Dali said.  You know, her warning."  Logan nodded silently.  "Whatever it is, it's gonna be worse than anything we've dealt with before, and I don't know if we'll be ready for it."

He kissed the top of her head.  "We'll be ready.  It's already started.  Freedom for your family was the first step.  People said it couldn't be done.  Transgenics said it wouldn't be done.  But it was.  Whatever's coming, we'll be ready for it.  You're not alone you know."

Max nodded.  They were silent for a few seconds, just enjoying each other's presence.  The door opened slowly and Max looked up and smiled.  A young woman in a nursing uniform stepped in.  "Here's Mommy and Daddy," she cooed to the little bundle wrapped in pink in her arms.  She walked over to the side of the bed, and laid the baby in Max's arms.

"She's perfectly healthy, and the doctor says the two of you can leave as soon as you're ready.  I'll the bottle here on the bedside table.  If you need anything else, just press the button on the side of the bed."  She smiled at them, and turned and left.

Max smiled down at the baby.  "Hello there, my wonderful, sweet baby girl."  The baby smiled at her, and Max kissed her forehead.  Then she turned to look at the man sitting next to her, seemingly entranced by the seven and a half pounds of joy that wriggled in her arms.  "Wow, Logan," she whispered, "look what we did."

Logan tore his eyes away from the baby to look at her.  Without saying a word, he leaned forward and placed his lips on hers.

"Hey, you two, slow it down.  Isn't that how you got that one?" came a familiar voice from the doorway.  "Besides, aren't you supposed to wait like six to eight weeks or something?"  Max and Logan looked up as Alec walked in the room, with Dominic at his side.

"Not that it's any of your business," Max responded, "but it's only two weeks.  Transgenic, remember?"

Alec rolled his eyes.

"What took you guys so long to get here?" Logan asked.

Dominic glared up at Alec.  "This genius got us lost.  I told you she said to take a right at the end of the hall."

Alec scoffed.  "I could've sworn she said left."

"Whatever."  Dominic bounded over to the bed, and hopped up into Logan's lap, who grunted at the sudden weight.  Shorty looked down at the baby; she watched him with big, bright, curious blue eyes under long dark lashes like her mother's.  Her copper skin glowed in the daylight.  He held out his finger, and the baby took hold of it.  He smiled.  "She's strong."

Max smiled.  "I got a feeling you guys are gonna be spendin a lot of time together."

Shorty looked up at her.  "I'll learn her everything I know," he said seriously.

"Like what?" Logan asked cautiously.

"Like how to kick your butt at chess," Dom smiled triumphantly.

Alec laughed at them, shaking his head.  "So, uh, this kid got a name yet?"

Max's smile dropped, and she thought hard for a moment.  Then she turned to look at Logan.  "What do you think?" she asked him.

He looked down at the baby, whose eyes had begun to droop.  "I think…I think we should name her Dali…without her, none of this would have been possible."

Max nodded and looked down at her daughter.  "Dali," she murmured with a smile on her face, "like the Spanish painter Salvador…I like it."

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Post: Ok, that's it.  Shows over people.  Bittersweet ending, yes, I know.  When I get inspired to do my next story, I think I'll request that my muse send me vibes for a happier one.  Thanks again for all your support.