Disclaimer: I don't own anything 'cept for Alyx and Oliver.

A/N: LAST chapter!

Oliver and I drove on into the night, leaving the city behind us, watching as the lights faded away and were slowly replaced with the dark countryside. We sat in comfortable silence, enjoying the time together. Oliver navigated the winding road ahead with expert confidence, taking a glance at me every so often with a smile. Soon, the surroundings became sort of familiar, and I suddenly knew where he was taking me.

Oliver laughed. "You're remembering, aren't you?"

"Of course." I replied, gazing out the car window. Like the first night he had taken me out here--our first date--the stars dotted the sky, creating a picturesque image. The moon was full and glowing brilliantly against the blue-black abyss above. This was exactly what we needed after the last few hectic hours we'd just been through. A little time outdoors, in the fresh air, surrounded by nature.

Oliver pulled up onto the familiar cliff overlooking the hills and parked, leaving the car on so that the radio was still running. He turned the radio up before opening his door. He moved around the front of the car over to my side, and opened it up. Oliver took my hand, helping me out onto the grass like a gentleman. The damp, cool grass felt nice on my bare feet, which still ached from those stupid heels. Oliver shut the door with his other hand, never letting go of me. We walked to the cliff, standing a few feet from the edge. The brisk wind blew my hair off my face, and carried a spring-like smell.

Oliver picked up on a slow song on the radio, and turned to me, eager. "May I have this dance?"

"Of course." I replied. I placed my hands around his neck, while he put his arms around my waist. We moved across the grass gracefully, enjoying the music and the clear night.

"This is like déjà vu of the first time we danced," he laughed. "only not as awkward."

"Yeah," I agreed, half-laughing. "But this time, you won't run away on me, right?"

Oliver smiled. "No."

"Promise?" I asked, looking up at him. Sometimes, I was afraid that he wasn't real, that we weren't together. The thought of that scared me.

He laughed, lifting an arm from my waist to place his hand softly on the side of my face, cupping my cheek. "I will never leave you, Alyx." he answered sincerely. "I promise."

XXXXXXXX

Before we knew it, it was graduation day. I know, scary, right? To think that we were going to be college students was especially frightening. Oliver and I spent the morning rushing around the house, trying to remember where we'd put our caps and gowns. Meanwhile, Sam was hounding us every five minutes, acting like the big geek he was, trying to get pictures of us. He couldn't be more ecstatic that I was graduating from high school and actually going on to college. Dad was still quite shocked that I was no longer going to be a high schooler, and I think he was still a bit wary of me leaving him to go to Kansas State. But he couldn't force me to stay home; he knew I wanted a chance at this college thing, even if the career path I'd chosen wasn't too conventional.

Oliver and I had found the caps and gowns just in time, and got dressed hurriedly before dashing out the door. We had to be there earlier, and Dad and Sam promised to see us there. I silently prayed that they wouldn't be late; although, I don't think that would be possible with the way Sam was acting about the whole graduation thing. Knowing him, he'd want front row seats.

We arrived as the rest of the class was lining up to take their seats on stage in the auditorium. Oliver wouldn't be sitting together, unfortunately, because they handed out the diplomas in alphabetical order. As we were preparing to go on stage, Oliver came over to me and gave me a kiss.

"Good luck." he told me, then scurried back to find his place toward the front of the line. I took a deep breath, and started following the person in front of me. We walked on the stage and took our seats in the correct rows. I scanned the crowd for Dad and Sam, and immediately found them. Sam was already snapping pictures, and Dad was…talking to Bobby. When did he get here? I glanced down the row to discover that not only Bobby, but Missouri and Ellen had come as well. I had no idea that they had planned to come to my graduation, so this was a very pleasant surprise.

The ceremony was extremely long. I occupied myself by picking the nail polish off my nails and attempting to estimate how many people were actually in the auditorium. The vice principal made a speech about how great the students in the class were, and gave some encouragement and motivation for our future. She also acknowledged the recent death of our principal, calling for a moment of silence in memoriam. After that, the valedictorian addressed our class, remembering some of the good times during our four years at Lawrence High. She wished us good luck for our future goals and accomplishments, and then the vice principal went to the podium again to start calling our names to receive our diplomas.

And of course, my name was toward the end of the alphabet, so I had to wait forever to get my diploma. When Oliver got his, I clapped and cheered the loudest. Amy was somewhere in the middle of the alphabet, so she got hers before me as well. After about an hour an a half, I was next. They called my name, and I stood up, walking across the stage to get my diploma. I heard Oliver cheer for me really loud, and I glanced in the direction of where my family was sitting. Sam and Dad were standing, clapping and whistling. Ellen, Bobby, and Missouri were standing as well, grinning. I took my diploma, smiling, my cheeks turning a slight shade of pink. Although it was sort of embarrassing for me, I knew they had every right to stand up and applaud like that. Unlike everyone else, they were aware of how much I'd gone through to get to this point.

After the ceremony, Oliver and I met up, showing off our newly acquired high school diplomas. We went outside to the parking lot, where Dad had instructed us to catch up with them afterward. Missouri spotted us first, and gave us each a congratulatory hug.

"I'm so proud of you two!" she praised, grinning like a proud grandmother. Bobby shook Oliver's hand, and gave me a sort of awkward hug, while Ellen embraced us both.

"Your mother would be so happy for you, Alyx." she told me. I smiled, knowing that that was probably true.

Dad snatched the diploma from my hands, and he and Sam looked it over approvingly. "So," he said, looking at me and Oliver, "What do you two want to do to celebrate?"

Oliver and I shared a thoughtful glance. "Party!" We answered in unison. Sam laughed.

"I think that can be arranged." Sam replied.

So, me, Oliver, and the rest of my family began walking toward our cars, ready to celebrate a turning point in our lives, and the future that lay ahead of us.

THE END.

A/N: I know, so sad…another Alyx and Oliver story ended. Hope you liked it! A sequel to The Devil Game is in the works, though, so look out for it because I'll be posting very soon. The title will be 'Amor Vincit Omnia'. (I'm really excited for it, since I have some pretty good ideas…) Days in Stride will also be updated. Thank you so much for all those who have been faithful readers and reviewers! I really appreciate that you've kept such an interest in Alyx and Oliver's story; I enjoy writing about them as well. Thank you!