At the bottom of the page/chapter you will find a long speech from me. Read it, please?

I lean my head against the smooth fabric of the seat, looking out the window into the endless night sky. I'm positive there's no one else awake on this plane, because of the fact that it's two o clock in the morning and all. Abner sits next to me, snuffling lightly as he sleeps, glasses dripping down the edge of his nose.

I close my eyes, breathing very deeply and enjoying the smell of plane fuel. I recall the last time I was in a plane, and who I had been sitting next to, and compare it to now. Something in my chest throbs and I visibly wince.

My emotions this plane ride have been completely neutral. It would be far to cheesy to say I 'have no tears left to cry' because I'm sure I could give out buckets of them on demand. It's true that I'm not crying now, because most of the crying was done yesterday and the day before that.

And I'm telling you, I had no idea my body was capable of producing so much salt water.

Looking back on it, I probably looked pretty comical to the workers as I hugged all of them good bye, eyes red rimmed, hair messy and all hiccupy. I don't remember much of what I said or did, because I was not in my right mind. Abner just stood there, nodding with approval as I grabbed my suitcase, which was still half open because I had no Indiana Jones to help me zip it up like he did before we came to Cairo.

A flight attendant comes up and asks me if I want some pillows, and I tell her no. I glance out the window, with a few strands of light leaking out behind the already dark clouds. The air we're suspended in seems different from the Earth below us. Like nothing can touch us up here, nothing can hurt us.

We'll be landing at our next flight stop within an hour or so, and according to Abner (who told me this about yesterday), we have five more stops to make till we get to Nepal.

I told him that I couldn't wait.

With I sigh I continue staring out at that sky, almost black.

I've tried discussing dangerous subjects with myself, like how I'm ever going to get over him. How I'm ever going to make myself forget what it's like to touch him, to kiss him, to be held by him. Every time I try thinking about this, my throat does this strange constricting thing and I am forced to find a quiet, private place to fall to pieces.

But now, in this small plane floating somewhere over the ocean, not part of the world I know, I get enough will to suck it up.

I can move on from here. I can go on living what life that I am able to. I can still talk to Carrie, and I can still read Pride and Prejudice, and I can still eat chocolate chip pancakes. I can still trip over things and drop valuable objects. I can still function.

Without him.

.....

Right.

I blink away a wave of tears. C'mon, Marion, keep it together.

Having barely slept in two days, I'm exhausted. Part of me is afraid to go to sleep, because I won't be able to stop dreaming about him. And when I wake up, I won't discover that he never left. He'll still be gone. And I'll still be alone.

"Shit." I mutter as tears threaten to overflow my eyes. It's starting to feel too cramped and hot where I'm sitting.

I press my forehead to the cool surface of the window, thankful for a place to hide my tears as they slip over my cheeks down my chin.

I'm not sure how long I remain like this, pressed to the window and just praying that I can get over this.

"We'll be landing shortly." The flight attendant says. "Please prepare to unboard."

Abner wakes up slowly, grumbling about something. He eyes me warily, probably thinking I'm on the verge of another breakdown.

"Did you manage to get any sleep, Marion?" He quirks an eyebrow as he gathers his journal of private notes.

I shake my head, almost laughing in spite of myself as I remember a similar conversation with another archaeologist. "No, Abner. I can never sleep on planes."

"Then what did you do this whole time?"

"I looked at the stars."

"Oh."

We sit there uncomfortably, Abner shifting in his seat. Knowing the conversation is going to go nowhere, I stare back out the window.

As they say, life goes on. The things that use to be the most important to you become the least.

I don't think this proverb applies to me. In any way.

As the plane slowly slips back into the more substantial part of earth, the part where knees get skinned and hearts get broken, I feel....hell, I don't know how to describe it. I'm definitely not happy, but I'm accepting. I've accepted the fact that Indiana Jones is not a part of my life anymore.

The city lights slip into my line of vision and I'm dazzled by them, not believing how easy it was to forget them in the first place.

I'm not trying to sound all matured by this roller coaster of an experience. Because truly, I'm not.

BUT, I have to say I have learned a thing or two.

I mean, when it comes down to it, I have no choice about whether I want to move on or not. Unless I really want to go crazy and shoot myself, I'll always be here, dealing with whatever punch fate deals to me next.

Am I alright?

Um...no.

I may never be. I think I'll always have some sort of figurative bruise on me that Indy left himself. And me never meeting him again, well....that may turn me into a bitter old woman before the time I'm twenty five.

What I've always wanted, of course.

And yet, I think to myself as Abner and I step out into the cold night at the air port, despite my resolved attitude about never setting sights on him again, I've got this odd feeling that somehow, SOMEHOW, this isn't the last I'll be seeing of Indiana Jones.

Just a feeling.

Well....here's my speech.

a) OH MY GOD!!!! I JUST FINISHED MY FIRST FANFICTION NOVEL! WOOT WOOT! When I started out on this baby, I had no clue it would blossom into this. I mean, I was totally blown away by how involved I felt with it and how easily every chapter came to mind. I was rather surprised and very pleased with how this fic. turned out. I just..wow.

b) WE GOT TO 1,000+ REVIEWS!!! EEEEEEEE!!!!! I have to say that when you all first started reviewing this story (way back in May or so, when I first published it) I was so shocked by the response. I thought it would get butchered to pieces by some of those master writers out there, but you guys were so helpful. I got pep-talks, critiques (thanks to those who alerted me of appalling typos. I owe you.) and so much support that reviews were one of the things that kept me from just deleting this whole story and giving up on writing. So, to my readers, reviewers, and lurkers, you are my own personally pep-squad and I love you all SO MUCH.

c) Just a note, the title to this chapter was lame, I know. But I didn't think I could have named it anything because there was no direct subject to it.

d) I've gotten a lot of people asking 'What will you do once Thoughts is finished, IJl?'. Honestly, I have to say that I have much in store for you. BUT....I am planning on taking a one month hiatus from this fandom to write for my other account. So, I may be missing, but info will be posted every week or so on my profile, so if you swing over there, you can find anything out about me. But for those who were very curious, I have the following things coming up: Several angsty or humorous one-shots, another chapter fic. that shall be a secret until published and random snippets as they come.

e) I'm not going to ask you to review, because I've already achieved the ultimate goal for me, review wise. But if you feel inspired, you can tell me on a whole what you think of this story, or you can tell me your favorite color, or you can blather on about nothing. I don't care. I'll adore you either way. :)

Did I mention that this is the end of the story? Heh, yeah, it is. I had such a blast working on it and meeting so many helpful writers so thank you all. You rock my socks!

Love,

IndyJonesLuvr