Here it is guys! This one was easy to get done because (as you will soon see) it's kind of a sum-up with some scenes of actual dialogue stuck in here and there. Not too detailed, but it is an epilogue. I'll let you get to reading it, and save most of my thoughts for the end, but in case none of you read the bottom A/N, I just want to thank you all for the support you've given this story over the years. I said I would never give it up, and I haven't, so thanks so much for being patient and sticking with me.

Please enjoy!

"Breathe in…"

The air in the Med Bay tasted sterile, and I didn't like it. Everything in here reminded me too much of where I'd been.

"Exhale slowly."

My gaze was fixed to the window, taking in the sea and the sky and the city between them. I could imagine I was out there, in the ocean breeze and the warm sun. God I still feel cold…

I flexed the fingers of my left hand. It didn't feel the same as it had before; Raven said there was some slight nerve damage that she couldn't repair. Leftover from the frostbite. I could feel and move my fingers just fine, but had the slight sensation of wearing a very thin glove. According to my father, it might go away with time, because my body might now be able to repair the deadened nerves. Of course, he was more concerned about other things…

Slade took the stethoscope out of his ears, setting it aside and handing me my shirt. He looked less worried than yesterday, but still not completely relaxed.

"Your pulse is evening out," he told me. "Of course you've been on bed rest. It will likely still have palpitations, but I can't really say for how long."

I nodded, but didn't otherwise respond. I was still processing, I think. Thinking back, the whole ordeal felt like a dream, or an out-of-body experience. I couldn't wrap my head around it, and I wasn't all that sure I wanted to. It might be easiest to just forget it. Of course, that was easy to say while I was still awake.

"You already know that I would recommend you take time off from anything strenuous for a long time, but…" he shook his head. "I can't really say that to anyone else without them thinking that I'm just trying to take you away again."

I could only nod again, knowing he was right. Right now, my dad was allowed in the Tower, and had taken the lead on monitoring my health. The Titans were all very reluctant, but Adeline pointed out that he knew more than anyone on the planet what to look out for. As the only other living survivor of what I'd gone through (even though I didn't ever get the last dose) he knew how it affected the body for months, even years afterwards. There was no way to know how badly I would be affected without the full treatment, but of course I knew he wanted to err on the side of caution.

If I did continue to cut back on strenuous activities, though, I might have to quit being a Titan. Things were rocky enough as is, what with me having kept my relationship with Slade a secret. I knew that everyone knew now, of course, but I was sure that at least Robin would have been angry when he found out. None of us had talked about it, but it was bound to come up sooner rather than later.

I think you're right, I told my dad. You would know. I just…

"I know," he said, standing up. "You have a choice to make. You know what everyone wants from you, but it's up to you to decide for yourself."

What do you want? I signed quickly, before he could leave. I knew his answer already, but I wanted to hear it.

He gave a brief half-smile, bittersweet. "I want you to come back home with me. No more secrets or lies. But… I know I broke your trust. Most of all, I want you to be happy. I won't hold you back."

It made my heart feel warm, and I smiled at him. I felt better about our relationship now, at least compared to the last time I saw him before I was kidnapped. It was true he'd broken my trust, but after everything Psimon put me through, it seemed so small and insignificant. I felt that it would be petty to still be mad at him. Maybe some people would be, but I couldn't find it in me.

There was a knock on the door, and it opened. Robin was standing there, looking tense and uncomfortable. Somehow I knew; this was it. It was time to hash things out with him. He'd given me a week to rest and recover, but it couldn't last forever. My dad seemed to know it as well, and quietly left to give us some privacy.

"How are you feeling? Is everything going back to normal?" he asked, coming all the way in and sitting by the bed.

Yeah, everything seems to be evening out, I guess. Of course, I've been resting. I don't know what will happen when I start moving around more.

It was silent for a moment, Robin chewing on his lip. I'd avoided saying anything like 'when I go back to training and fighting' because I still wasn't sure they even wanted me back as a Titan. Nor was I certain that I even wanted to go back. I knew he picked up on it, though, so I waited to see what he would say.

"I…" he let out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, I still don't know what to say. I've been imagining this conversation with you since we suspected you were still alive. All this time and I still don't know what to say."

I don't really know, either, to be honest, I admitted. But there's obviously a lot to talk about.

Robin let out a snort. "Yeah, you can say that again. Well… It might go without saying but I'm really glad you're safe again. We haven't done a press release or anything yet but I was thinking we could pass it off as a secret mission where you had to be presumed dead to go undercover."

I nodded. Yeah, that makes sense.

He took another deep breath. "And… I'm sorry."

I raised my eyebrows, looking at him with confusion. Sorry? About what?

"About a lot of things," he continued. "In chronological order, it would go like this. I'm sorry that I was so obsessed and angry over Slade that you felt like you had to hide the truth. I'm sorry you got kidnapped, out of this Tower, which is supposed to be a safe place. I'm sorry we couldn't find you in time before you were taken out of the state. I'm sorry it took so long after that to find you again. I'm sorry you got kidnapped again even after we did find you the second time. I'm sorry it still took us too long to find you a third time. And I'm sorry that we, as Titans, failed to rescue you. Without Adeline there, we would have lost."

I listened, knowing that it was as much for his own sake that he aired out his guilt as it was for mine. I was surprised that he felt bad about so many things. I had expected him to be at least a little angry with me, not remorseful.

I'm not mad at you or anything, I told him. I know you did everything you could, and I'm fine in the end. Psimon was too much for anyone to handle alone. I couldn't get away from him without help. My mom might have delivered the final blow, but if it wasn't for all of you she wouldn't have had the chance.

Robin nodded, accepting my answer. "I'm glad you're not angry. And for the record, I'm not either. I was mad at first when I found out that you'd been keeping a secret that big, but mostly I was just mad at the situation. It's my own fault that you felt you had to hide it. I don't care, though. I know you, and I trust you. I won't ask you to hate him, or even fight against him if he attacks anywhere again, if you don't want to. I'd understand. All I need is for you to be loyal to our team, and not do anything that would cause us or innocent people any pain or put anyone in danger."

Of course, I signed sincerely. I can promise you that. I don't think he's planning to go back to being a villain, but if he did, I would stand by you in a heartbeat.

Robin smiled, and peace seemed to settle between us. He reached into a pocket on his belt, pulling out a communicator.

"Here, this is yours."

I took it, but looking at it made my throat feel tight. I looked at it for a moment, before putting it down in my lap.

It's my turn to say sorry. I'm sorry that I lied and kept secrets from you. I'm sorry if my relation to Slade has caused you any pain, even if it was just for a moment. I'm sorry that I hurt your trust in me by lying. And… I took a deep breath. I'm sorry, but I'm not sure I can be a Titan again right now.

"Oh…" he sounded a bit surprised and disappointed, and I quickly tried to rectify it.

I don't mean forever. I mean, if you'd let me, I think I'd just like to take a break for a while and finish recovering. I know it would be inconvenient to stay away after I've already been gone so long, so I understand if you don't-

"No, not at all!" he interrupted just as quickly. "That's okay. As long as you're willing to be part of the team, you're always welcome back. You're a Titan, but most importantly you're an individual too. I can't make you jump back into training and fighting bad guys so soon after what you've been through. And I'm not going to give you a now-or-never ultimatum either. Take all the time you need, and keep the communicator anyway. We'll stay in touch."

I smiled, brighter than ever, feeling relieved that my decision was made. I didn't have to give up either life, not all at once. It was more than I could have hoped for.

"You look kind of tired," Robin said after a moment, and I realized that I was. He stood up to go. "I'll leave and let you get some rest. You've earned it."

(TT)

Adeline wasn't thrilled that her son chose to take his 'leave of absence' with Slade, but she had to admit, once again, that Slade knew better than anyone what to look for. She remembered how her husband (at the time) went through extreme ups and downs while he recovered; absolutely full of energy one moment and collapsing the next. She vowed to keep in touch, though, even swearing that she would very likely drop by unannounced for a surprise visit or two. She wasn't sure she trusted Slade not to try and run off with their son again.

Joseph, of course, wasn't worried about that at all. The Titans were a little skeptical, and he couldn't blame them, but they promised each other to talk frequently. Plus, his communicator would keep track of his location, so that eased their worries a bit.

After a few more days of resting, Joseph entered into one of the most busy and hectic times in his life- well, that didn't include kidnapping, of course. The Titans held a press conference to inform the public that Jericho's murder had been faked, and that he'd soon be joining Titans South. William met up with them, to deliver his uniform, and to see his godson again and make sure he was really still in one piece. He wore the uniform for the press, but afterwards passed it on to Argent to take back to their Tower for safekeeping. Now that he knew he'd return to it, he didn't feel the need to keep it with him.

It felt like he was being whisked away to his newest home immediately after the conference. Rather than going back to their home in Utah, like he'd originally assumed, Slade decided to make it a little easier and find a new place to stay near the South Tower, in Texas. Joey was pleasantly surprised that Slade was making a point to put him close to where he would be when he was a full-time Titan again. The man explained that this way he could occasionally spend time with his new team, getting to know them some more before he moved in with them.

Raven brought his guitar to him before he left, having repaired it with some magical equivalent of elbow grease. It was even tuned, and having it again made his heart swell a little bit, so he hugged her briefly out of gratitude. Although she was flustered by it, she didn't seem too annoyed, merely rolling her eyes and straightening her cloak, as if he'd wrinkled it. He thought he saw a pleased glint in her eye, though, and he thanked her again. It must have been a lot of work to put the smashed instrument back together.

Adeline had left already, and Slade and Will were already on their way to their new home. Joseph was travelling with his team through Herald's portal, the direct and short trip would be easiest on his health. According to Slade, sudden changes in altitude, the bustle of public transportation, and cramped car rides would all be too much stress. They had a team member who could conjure portals, they may as well use that to their advantage.

In the blink of an eye, after only just arriving back here, he was leaving again. It was a little sad, but he knew he'd be back. Besides, he had his own home to go to. Two homes, counting the South Tower.

Kole had lingered, waiting until the last minute to be sent via portal to the North Tower. She hadn't spoken with them very much, since she'd been here helping look for Jericho, but Gnarrk was waiting for her there, and she knew she'd been away from him for too long already. She felt a bit bad now, looking back on it, but hoped he would forgive her.

"I don't want to say goodbye," she said, absentmindedly twirling a lock of hair. "It feels like I've only just barely said hello again."

Joseph looked, and felt, bittersweet himself. I know. But I told you I'd message you every day, remember?

For a second she was confused, but then she remembered; he'd told her that after teams were first announced. She smiled a bit.

"Yeah, I know. It's just…" Kole chewed on her lip. "I… Well, we… Where are we?"

After a moment of thought, Joey could only shrug and shake his head. I don't know. I feel like I've changed, in some ways. We're definitely friends, but I know that's not what you're asking.

She nodded, looking down at the ground to hide her disappointment. She knew it was only fair to give him some time, but she already felt that she'd waited forever. He reached out, gently taking her hand and giving it a quick squeeze before letting go.

I just know I can't make any promises about what's going to happen. All I can promise is that I will talk to you every day. That counts for something, right?

Kole gave a small smile again. "Yeah, it does." She stretched on her toes, giving him a peck on the cheek. "I'll wait for you, Joey. You know I always will."

She caught sight of something, squinting in the sunlight. Stretching up a little more, she ran her fingers through his hair, making him duck his head slightly in confusion.

"Sorry," she blushed, stepping back, "it might be the light, but I thought I saw some white in your hair."

He raised his eyebrows. He hadn't thought of that. Subconsciously, he ran fingers through his hair as well, as if touching it would answer the question as to whether or not it really was going white. Before he could answer, though, a loud cough came from a few yards away.

"Ahem," Herald said pointedly, holding up his horn, silently suggesting that they get a move on. Kole quickly scurried over, blushing a bit. Argent winked cheekily at her.

"Don't worry, love, you've got 'im wrapped around your little finger," she teased. Kole blushed a deeper shade of red, ducking into the portal that Herald opened while Hot Spot snorted.

(TT)

The next few weeks passed quietly, and Joseph was thankful for a period of peace. He saw his teammates about once a week, just to touch base with them, but for the most part he was happy to keep to himself at home, with his father and godfather closeby. Slade was right about the recovery period, though. As predicted, most days he felt fine, but every now and then he was suddenly overcome with a dizzy spell, his chest tightening, and feeling lightheaded. Usually he could sit or lie down to let it pass, but now and then it was too much, too sudden, and he fell.

His father and Will were certainly worried, but they didn't let it show too much. They'd both lived through it before, and knew that it would pass soon enough. The periods gradually grew further and further apart, as Joseph's body recovered and repaired itself.

What didn't seem to be passing were the nightmares. Every night since he'd been rescued, Psimon plagued his dreams; twisted images of his friends and family who left him for dead in the hands of a psychopath. Every terrible outcome or scenario haunted him, and he would wake up in a cold sweat, gasping for breath. He could never get back to sleep after waking up like that, and as nights went by without any change, the fears crept into his waking thoughts as well.

What if he could never be a Titan because of this? What if he never got over what happened, and couldn't be a hero anymore? They'd pity him, perhaps even be annoyed by his shortcomings. His team wouldn't want him, and when they brought their complaints to Robin he'd been suspended for sure. He didn't know how to deal with this side of things, and that's what tormented him the most.

"You haven't been sleeping well."

It wasn't a question. He just shrugged, scooping up another spoonful of oatmeal. Slade let out a soft sigh, and Joseph held back a wince. Here it was. Pity, annoyance, the whole shebang.

"Are you having nightmares? About what happened?"

After a moment of not responding, he gave in, and nodded.

"Joey." The man was firm, but not loud or stern. He demanded attention, but was still gentle about it. Joseph looked up through his bangs. "It's okay. I know what it's like. This will pass with time as well, but it's not going to get better if you don't do something about it."

The blonde raised an eyebrow. Like what?

"Talking helps," Slade offered. "And, when you had nightmares, when you were young, it seemed to make you feel better to not be alone. You can come to me, if you like."

Joseph didn't respond. How much did Slade mean it? A year ago he wouldn't have believed the man in the slightest, but now… He knew there was a very high possibility that if he really did go running to his dad in the middle of the night after a nightmare, the man wouldn't be bothered.

Of course he wasn't going to do that. On one hand, he wasn't sure about going to the man for comfort. Slade meant well, but he was never the best at that sort of thing. Joey didn't want to open up to anyone about this, either, it was too much. And, of course, he wouldn't be with his dad forever. Might as well start getting used to dealing with it on his own because he definitely wasn't going to go crying about it to his teammates either.

That night, he had a nightmare again. They varied, slightly, but they all took place back at the lab, with Psimon. This time, he was blindfolded, laying on a metal table, so cold that he couldn't move an inch. He wasn't strapped down but he may as well have been. He was frozen, and helpless. Terrible things kept pouring into his head, images of bad things happening to him, and his friends. Memories that he didn't even know were real but were horrible just the same. And all he could do was lie there while the images played in his head.

When the blindfold came off, the lights were blinding, and a cruel laugh mocked him. Psimon stood watch while Joseph was poked and prodded, cut into and practically dissected. Wounds were inflicted, and they healed instantly, but none of the pain ever faded away. He wanted to scream, or cry, but he was frozen.

He was dead. Cold and immobile. Psimon kept his mind stuck inside the body, forcing him to live through his own autopsy. The man had a cruel, inhuman smirk, and his voice played inside Joseph's head.

Should have cooperated. If you refuse to be a soldier, you'll remain a test subject.

The wounds stopped closing up, and the doctors under Psimon's control stopped, having nothing left to cut open or examine. They looked to their master with glassy eyes.

"Time for another dose. The serum seems to continue to work a little longer after death, but not forever. If we inject more he should start healing again and we can continue to study its effects. Who knows? We might even get that heart beating again. In fact, since it is right there, let's try the injection right at the heart. See what happens."

Stuck looking up into the lights, he could only see the syringe lowering into his opened chest in his peripheral vision, but suddenly he was on fire. It was as if they'd started pouring molten lava between his ribs, and he desperately wanted to scream. Psimon's laugh was all he could hear, as he was consumed by fire.

Joseph jolted up in bed, gasping with silent screams, drenched in sweat. His heart pounded as if trying to escape his chest, to get away from the lingering phantom pain. He was shaking, wrapping his arms around his torso and digging his nails into his arms. He couldn't breathe. His sweat made him feel cold and in turn he couldn't shake what he'd dreamt he felt. He sobbed, his breath still catching in mute screams.

Light fell on him, making him flinch back. He looked up, seeing an open door with the hall light partly streaming in, cutting away the darkness. A tall, broad figure stood in the doorway, hesitating only a moment before quickly striding in.

Slade had (correctly) assumed that Joseph wouldn't want to come to him about the nightmares, so he'd stayed up tonight, listening for any signs of distress. He came as soon as he heard the gasping, choked breaths of his son, turning on a light and bursting in. Joey's face, wet with both tears and sweat, looked more tortured than he'd ever seen it. The next second he was scooping the blonde up into his arms as he sat on the bed, all in one motion.

Joseph clung to him tightly, frightened beyond reason and desperate for comfort. Despite his earlier hesitations, he felt the urge to babble out details, wanting so badly to be told that they weren't real. He couldn't, of course, so the next best thing was to cling to his father, bury his face in the man's shirt, and bawl like a baby.

The boy was trembling so badly that Slade grabbed the duvet, pulling it up over Joey's shoulders. He ran fingers through the blonde curls, a bit lost as to what to do or say to make his son calm down again. He'd suspected this was happening, but didn't know for sure what to do about it, other than just be here. He remembered some of what Adeline used to do when the boys had nightmares, and tried to emulate it.

"It's okay," he said only just barely loud enough to be heard over gasping sobs. "It's okay, you're okay. I've got you. You're safe now, I've got you. Nothing bad is going to happen, it was just a nightmare."

It seemed to do the trick, so he continued along those lines until Joseph drifted off again. He left the teen tucked back into bed, prepared to come back in should he have another nightmare.

The night passed peacefully from there, but Joey was a bit ruffled in the morning, a little embarrassed that Slade had held him while he cried like a baby. His father made no comment, however, so that made it a little easier. Before the end of the day, when he was feeling brave enough, he took the time to try and talk about what he'd been dreaming.

It's Psimon, he signed, as they sat in the study. I'm there on that table again, but it's all worse than what really happened. He shuddered a little, not liking to think about it in the daytime.

"I thought as much," Slade answered. "But I mean it, you're safe now."

He's still out there! Joseph protested fearfully. He'll try to come back for me, I know it!

"He won't get you," Slade said firmly. "I won't let him. And even if he managed to pull it off, with me in the same city- which he won't -then I won't stop until you're safe again."

It didn't erase the fear that Joseph felt, but it eased it a little bit. He was reminded of the very first time he was kidnapped, as a child. He was terrified for almost a year afterwards, every single night, afraid that he'd be taken again. He slept hidden in the bathroom some nights (childishly believing that no one would ever think to look for him there), and with his mother most nights for at least two months. Even when he slept in his room, he slept under the bed, then eventually just hidden under the covers. To this day, he slept easier with the door locked.

Joseph thought, if he could gradually get over that, he could get past this as well. It would take time before he could sleep a full night, he was sure, but at least he knew he could get better.

Over time, the nightmares got less bad. It was mostly the same one, but after a while, it was more monotonous than frightening. It wasn't as scary after what felt like a million nights in a row. He still woke up, and Slade was still there, but after a few weeks he wasn't crying anymore. He was still sweaty, heart pounding, but after waking up and seeing that his father was there, he could calm down much quicker. Soon enough, there was a night when he didn't have it at all. It happened less and less.

After a month and a half of living in this house, he was almost completely nightmare-free. Now and then, it would crop up, but he was able to wake up and go back to sleep easily, no longer very bothered by it. Looking back, he was very glad to have spent his time recovering here, with his father and Will, where he had been able to learn to cope with everything.

Two more weeks, and he was given a clean bill of health, too. He could run and do cardio exercises without anything in his body acting up. While he'd had those scattered days where he'd suddenly felt faint, they'd ended eventually. As his father explained it, his body had caught up with the changes that had been made, and should now function at full capacity.

With this news, they both knew that their time together had come to another end. Joey felt bittersweet, and a little anxious. He was sad to say goodbye, but excited and nervous about moving into the Tower and becoming a Titan again. Just like moving here, he was gone in a week.

Like the Central and East towers, the South tower was located on a coast, overlooking the Gulf of Mexico. Slade and Will drove him there (it really wasn't far) and the Titans were waiting for him. He was pleasantly surprised to see them all gathered together in front of the Tower. He couldn't tell from so far away, but they seemed kind of excited.

A warm hand squeezed his shoulder, as he stood with slight hesitation.

"I'll be here. I'll keep my distance, but you know where to find us if you need us," Slade said. "I added a shortcut on your communicator so that you can call me whenever you like, and a text-to-speech application that I thought might be useful."

He smiled, putting his hand on top of Slade's, briefly. William wrapped him in a hug; he'd hugged Joseph a lot since they came here, and it was nice. When he let go, Joey looked up at his father, and they hugged as well, for just a bit longer.

(TT)

Titans South spent a lot of their time just walking around town, enjoying the sun. Jem City was welcoming to them, and people were naturally curious about the new member who didn't speak, and who'd been presumed dead up until recently. Herald was newer to the team too, of course, since he'd stayed with Central until Jericho was found, but he'd been here while the mute was recovering, giving him a head start. It was nice to have him there, a friend that Jericho already knew very well.

"I can't believe the arcade is still closed!" Kid Flash complained.

"They're still repairing it after Hot Spot knocked Adonis through the front window," Jinx said, partly to remind KF, partly to fill in Jericho.

Adonis? He signed.

"Some HIVE students have spread all over like we have," Herald explained. "Just like dimension X. Where there's heroes, there's villains, and vice versa."

"So far pretty easy fights," Argent said. "Compared to the Brotherhood anyway."

Before anyone else could say anything, there was a loud, almost screeching shout.

"Joey, do a lift!"

He turned, confused for just a second, someone collided with him, knocking him flat on his back.

He blinked, trying to get the air back in his lungs. Above him, his friends had almost all tensed, but Argent was cackling. Another familiar laugh sounded in his ears, and when he actually got a look at who was on top of him, his eyes widened.

"I said do a lift, you were supposed to catch me," Avery said, climbing off of him.

Avery? What are you doing here?

"Visiting, dummy!" She rolled her eyes, pulling him back up on his feet. "You didn't even come back to say goodbye!"

"Um, who is this?" Hot Spot demanded. Argent laughed.

"It's Avery," their leader answered. "She's the one who told me that Jericho was alive, and the one who tipped me off when he'd been kidnapped again. She went to the same school as him."

"Yeah, we were dance partners," Avery bragged, an arm wrapped playfully around Jericho's shoulders. "Plus, he saved me from something terrible."

There was a note of genuine gratitude in her voice, and it almost made him blush a bit.

"How do you two know each other then?" Herald wanted to know, looking between Argent and Avery. Now it was them who blushed slightly. Something clicked in Jericho's head, and his eyebrows went up.

"She's my girlfriend," Argent said. "We've been long distance since we met online. I flew out to see her a few times but since becoming a Titan I've been too busy to make as much time for her as I want to."

"So, I've come to visit you," Avery grinned. She poked Jericho's cheek, "And also you. Again, you didn't say goodbye. You ditch me in a closet and disappear! You could have called, ya know!"

Sorry, he signed a bit sheepishly. Everything's been crazy, I only just barely moved into the Tower.

"Oh, I'm not the only one you should apologize to…" Avery said cryptically. Before he could ask what she meant, another figure barreled into him out of nowhere, though he didn't fall again.

Jericho looked down to see Nathan, and smiled brightly at him. Nathan looked absolutely ecstatic to be there. He began to sign at lighting speed, babbling about how he'd missed his friend and how happy he was to see him and how cool it was that Joseph was a Titan-

"Nate, slow down, no one can read that fast!" Avery said, laughing brightly. The boy flushed lightly, signing a quick apology and starting over, more slowly this time.

"You've got a fan," Kid Flash teased. Jericho nudged him, but otherwise ignored the speedster, giving Nathan and Avery his full attention.

In between Nathan's bursts, Avery squinted at Jericho.

"Is it just that there's no smog blocking out the sunlight here or is your hair getting lighter?" she asked.

Before he could answer, an explosion went off down the block.

The Titans tensed, Avery grabbed her brother and pulled him close. In the distance, walking out of the smoke with a large bag was a man dressed in a white jumpsuit.

"Le Blanc!" shouted Hot Spot, powering up.

Argent smirked slightly as her team shifted seamlessly into formation, and she coated her hands in crimson. "Go easy guys, this one's not worth working up a sweat for." She turned to Avery. "Sit tight, this won't take long."

Jericho grinned to himself. Any uncertainty he might have had in the past about being a Titan was long gone. Now he knew; this was what he wanted to do. He already knew his role in the team- take care of the bystanders, keep them from harm's way. And if things should get too intense, his power was like a wild card.

He was a Titan, and a Wilson. He fit in with his team, and as they all moved forward in a carefully practiced set of maneuvers, he couldn't think of anywhere else in the world he would rather be.

The End

Before I forget, I do just want to point out that Jericho and Slade's relationship is not akin to Stockholm syndrome. It does not fit into the full definition of the actual, diagnosable syndrome, nor was it intended for that to be the case. I'm sorry if it came across that way for some of you, but that's not what I intended with this story. Joseph has always loved his father. It's his father. He is also a kind-hearted person who is quicker to forgive than most, so if it seemed a bit forced then I'm sorry.

I feel like I have a million things to say. It's been almost seven years. I have plenty of other projects planned and already in progress so if you want more, just stick around. I have nothing more planned for this, but then again I didn't even have THIS planned anyway. It was supposed to be a one-shot. That said, I'm happy with how it turned out, but it wasn't very planned-out, plus I started it a long time ago and my writing skills have evolved and grown. I may or may not post an updated (read: edited) version of this on my DA, but only if I have the time and motivation.

I didn't forget the reviews contest. I will tally up the reviews about a week after posting this chapter, and PM the winner, who will get a one-shot request. I started the contest like five years ago, when I never thought I would break over 100 reviews, so being where I'm at now, closer to 200 than 100, this just blows my mind. Again, thank you to every single person who read this, and double thank you to all the people who also reviewed and followed and favorited. It was because of a review that I actually changed or added a few details here and there, so they haven't gone unnoticed at all.

Thank you, and I'll see you in another story.