Things became normal again, eventually. The girls let Randall have free roam and their father grew fond of him, in a odd sort of way. Timothy, though still preferring to keep his distance, was more comfortable with Randall. The lizard became highly attached to Mercy, and protective over Anne as he felt Anne was as much his responsibility as she was Mercy's. Like a doll that needed looking after, or it'll gather dust and be stolen away some fine day.

The attachment towards the older was never hidden, of course. Except in late summer nights, taking walks in the dark to listen to crickets and see stars. When the silhouettes of a human and monster were very obviously holding hands. A simple gesture- but such an odd couple to behold. If Anne ever noticed the possessiveness Randall would sometimes hold over Mercy, she never mentioned it.

When summer break finally passed by, and the girls had to return to school for the usual seven hours, five days a week, Randall had the house alone. It sometimes got lonely. Mercy pretended not to show any emotion when kids at school (her friends, even) whispered about seeing a huge purple monster lurking about the town before suddenly vanishing into thin air. "That's odd," she often said "but you know I'm not superstitious like my sister!" And when her peers would mention they did, she would add. "There's no such thing as monsters." And be done with it.

Anne, however, would act is if she were some sort of expert in all things monster. Children with their wild imaginations believed in the rumor, but no one really believed Anne. She was always making up stories; saying she met a dragon once or that she had almost caught Bigfoot twice in her back yard. She only grinned when they said she was lying.

It was a Friday after school, and Mercy was laying up on the roof. She was careful not to slide off, hands holding her head up to look at the blinking dots scattering the ink of night sky. A few clouds whisked over the lights, giving an eerie atmosphere. Everything had cooled down as Fall approached.

She had enlisted the help of Randall to get up here; he lay beside her, hands laying lazily over his stomach. Mercy sighed up at the sight. "I only know th'Big Dipper and Orion." She admitted, pointing. "There's the Big Dipper," Her finger moved to point at three slanted stars, lined in a row. "and that's Orion's belt."

Then they chatted idly about zodiacs and constellations. Wondering about moons and exactly how long the sun was supposed to last.

"You know," Mercy began after a long silence. "I will be going t'college some day. N' you'll jus' be here, with Anne."

Randall shook his head. "College." He mused. "I went to Monsters University. Just figures, that everything I learned is obsolete where I used to work, now!" He threw his hands up in exaggeration. "'Least from what I saw. I. . . think."

Mercy removed one hand from her head and drummed her fingers on her chest idly. "Y'ever think you'll go back home? In the future?"

He shrugged in the dark. "Maybe. S'kinda hard to be stuck between two worlds. Like I can't go back without causin' a stir, but I can't just live my life here like a normal monster, either. I don't wanna be thrown in prison or just tossed back here somewhere random. But I feel like, someday, that's what I'm gonna do." He paused. "I'm gonna go back n'be stuffed in a cell. Or thrown back here some place I'd never be able to see you or Anne again."

Mercy frowned. She suddenly realized how horrible Randall must really feel. He was lost among humans, but there wasn't a life back in his world for him, either. She wasn't sure what she could say to console him. "I'll miss you." She said instead.

That made him grin, breathing a little laugh. "I'll miss you too."

She turned her head to look at him- though she couldn't actually see much of his features in the dark. "When do you think it is you'll go?"

He shrugged for a second time, looking back at her. He could see about as much of her face as she could see his. "Don't worry about it. I won't be going anywhere for a long time, Mercy. I promise." Then, he felt for her hand, took it, and pressed a chaste kiss on her palm.

They heard the sound of the front door violently swing open. The booming voice of Anne destroyed the thick air between them as it carried into the once peaceful night. "Mercy, Randall, ya'll done come down fer dinner!" She yelled, before the door slammed shut again.

Mercy sat up. "Wish he wasn't makin' it so late, usually makes it 'round seven thirty or so. Almost nine, I betcha'." She grumbled quietly, more to herself.

"Long as we're gettin' fed!" Randall said, optimistic. He skittered down the house to the ground, and from there helped Mercy. "Breakfast for dinner should be the only dinner." He joked.

Mercy grinned in amusement as they made their way to the front porch, light flooding their eyes from the little window upon the door. "You only like it for the bacon."

"You know me too well, Mercy."

Then she opened the door and they hurried inside. And, try as she might, Mercy could not dissipate the pleasant tingle still spreading over her palm from where Randall had kissed it.

For a while, everything would be okay.

I hope this ties everything up well enough. It's real short but I wanted it to be to the point. Sorry it must have taken a while despite its length. I don't know if I LIKED this ending so much, but I wasn't going to go too much into life after the climax. This is as good as it gets. There will not be a sequel.

Thanks to those who liked it enough to read it all the way through, I appreciate all my criticism, good and bad. See ya'. 3