The lights from the TV screen flickered and colours danced around her pale skin.

She was lifeless, her body just a shell. She didn't even know what to do.

"Are you sure you're okay?" Scott had questioned her all evening when she called him over.

He came over without protest, much to her dismay. Even though they were not together, Scott was willing to drop every plan he has to rush by her side and spend time together.

"Yeah, I'm fine, really," she responded, shaking her head. "I think it's just best if you go."

"Okay, if that's what you want," he told her, placing a kiss on her forehead and walking out her door.

She tried to control her breathing, but she couldn't help but let a few tears escape her eyes.

Furiously wiping the tears from her eyes, she started to get undresses and get ready for bed.

Once she was changed, she walked over to the bed, but froze when she heard a knock on her window.

Walking towards the window, she opened it and looked out.

"Hey, Allison."

She almost had a heart attack and she crashed against the window, holding her chest. She looked up into the eyes of Derek Hale.

-

"You just missed Scott. He was just here," Allison told him, closing the window behind him.

"I know, his scent is all over you," Derek's low voice told her.

Derek was watching them from the window a couple minutes before Scott left, and even though her back was turned, he could smell her salty tears as they streamed down her face.

Derek couldn't help himself, so he stared at her while she changed into her nightclothes. His claws couldn't help but poke out and a savage animal instinct in his mind wanted to smash that window in and drag her to a place where no one could hear her screams.

"Oh yeah, you can detect smells," Allison said sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "So what's up? I thought you only stop by the Argent residence if you want an arrow through your chest."

The corner of his mouth twitched in amusement. She's nothing like her mother, or Kate.

Derek's throat constricted as soon as her name fluttered through his mind. But now that he thought about it, he had to make comparisons.

Allison's features were softer: instead of Kate Argent's piercing, cold grey eyes, she had hazel orbs that seemed to warm a room up.

She also didn't have that same condescending tone her aunt and mother had. Hers was a softer, kinder and mort heartfelt.

He shouldn't be here, so why was he?

Allison seemed to be thinking the same thing, because she asked, "So if you're not here for Scott, why are you here?"

"I need your help," he finally answered, after a long period of silence.

"With what?"

"I need to feel." Derek could tell his reply startled her by the racing beat of her heart.

"F-feel?" She stuttered, looking up at him with those big brown eyes. "You came to me, to ask me how to feel?"

He nodded, and then she chuckled humourlessly.

"You're asking me to help you feel? The niece of the girl who killed your family? Can you still smell their burning flesh as Kate laughs manically because of how slow you were in not seeing how she was using you?"

Derek growled, his claws digging into his palms. "You don't know shit about what happened."

"How does it feel to be betrayed like that, hmm? By the woman you loved? When Kate stared you right in the eye, called you sweetheart out of spite—"

Derek's werewolf couldn't even contain himself anymore, so he grabbed Allison around her neck and violently shoved her against the wall.

Her eyes were wide, and she scratched and tore at his hands while gasping for air.

"Derek," she wheezed out. "I was just trying to make you feel something: anger."

Derek's anger subsided and his grip loosened the same time his claws retreated.

Allison slid to the floor and clutched her throat. The metallic smell of blood filled his nose and he saw a trail of blood trickling down the side of her neck.

"I'm sorry," he apologised, his voice barely audible.

She shook her head. "It's alright. It's fine."

Derek sighed. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay?"

She nodded, and led him into the small bathroom attached to her room.

Derek hoisted Allison on the counter and looked around. "Do you have some alcohol?"

She nodded and pointed to the shelf behind him. He plucked it off the shelf, soaked some in gauze and started to dab at the wounds.

She winced, but her face didn't show any sign of pain. She was strong, and that was one quality Derek always admired about her.

"I know you think I'm like her," Allison told him quietly, looking down at her hands.

He didn't even need to ask who she was talking about. "You're nothing like her."

"Stop lying. Even though my personality is not like hers, you still see some of her in me."

Derek's eyes widened. He did actually see some of Kate in her. But how was he supposed to explain to her that his past desire for Kate still lingered because her face resembled the woman that broke his heart and stripped him of everything he cared about? Did he just tell her how he wanted Kate's blood on his hands, yet still wanted to do her senselessly?

"I asked my father if I reminded him of her. He told me 'that my hunter qualities were just like her's, but myself as a person, I have not a single trait in common'."

"Well, as much as I hate her for killing my only family, except Cora, I cannot hate the rest of your family as much as they hate me." I especially can't hate you, Derek wanted to add.

Derek sighed and continued to bandage up her neck. "I'm still sorry."

"Don't worry, after you patch me up, you can go back to your brooding, hot Alpha with quote unquote, 'baggage,'" she teased, lightly shoving one of his shoulders.

The corner of his lip twitched. "You think I'm hot?"

Derek knew he shouldn't be teasing her like this. Getting involved with an Argent, again? Even though she was nothing like Kate, Derek knew it wasn't the smartest choice. If Chris knew what thoughts were in his head about Allison at this very second, he wouldn't hesitate to spray bullets of wolfsbane on him and his pack.

"I-I didn't say—shut up," Allison stuttered, looking down at her hands again.

Derek grabbed her wrists, and said, "you're not too ugly yourself."

Allison pouted as his lips tilted into a smirk.

"You're an asshole," she muttered, tucking a strand of wayward hair behind her ear.

"Never said I wasn't," he replied, stepping away from her. "Done."

"Thank you," she said. She hopped off the counter and made her way to her room.

Derek took the opportunity to glance around the room. It was quite girly: purple walls, frilly bedspreads, flowery prints, and perfume scattered all across the top of her dresser. There were clothes strewn haphazardly across the room and her books were scattered all over the bed.

"You should really clean up the place," he told her, still looking around. It was when he saw a lacy red bra peeking out from underneath her bed, he knew he was invading and thought it was best if he were to leave.

"It's not like you're much better, Derek," she replied, grabbing a chocolate bar off her desk and unwrapping it. "I've seen your place. You live in a warehouse apartment."

Derek suddenly felt nervous. "I, um, I have to go."

Allison looked at him suspiciously and looked as if she wanted to say something, but nodded her head. "Sure, see you around."

Derek ducked out the window, but hesitated on her ledge.

It was now or never.

When Allison's hand went up to close the window, Derek grabbed her hand.

He could feel her heartbeat speed up in surprise, but it slowly gradually.

"Did you forget something?" She asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Yeah, this." Derek grabbed the back of her neck and sealed his lips to hers.

Allison seemed shocked for a couple of seconds, until she slowly kissed him back.

She pulled him closer by tugging on his jet black hair, and winding her hands through it.

Allison was just about to pull him back inside the house, when a knock sounded on the door.

"Allison, it's me." Chris Argent's stern voice boomed through the door.

Derek moved away from her, with an impassive face. "You should probably get that."

Allison masked her disappointment with indifference and shrugged, walking away from him.

After her dad checked up on her, Allison turned back to the window. She looked outside, but didn't see anyone. He was gone.

-

Derek sat and watched the rain pour from his window. Today, he was alone, Cora went with Isaac to pick up more information on the Alpha pack in town, so it was quieter than usual.

He couldn't get his mind off that night last week with Allison. In that time span of about half an hour, he had felt more than he did in years. Anger, frustration, nervousness, and even lust.

He rubbed a hand over his face and sighed. Scott would throw him into the pits of hell if he found out what he was thinking, even if Allison was his ex girlfriend.

Derek froze when he heard footsteps outside his door. He heard the person's racing heartbeat, and from where he was standing, he could smell the flowery essence of perfume.

Allison.

He opened the door before she could even raise her hand to knock. "You shouldn't be here."

She nodded, and walked into the apartment space when Derek moved to the side to let her in. "I know."

"Then what are you doing here?" He asked, his eyes narrowed.

He couldn't help think of Kate again. Right now, she looked just like her, but she still had her Allison look to her.

"What do you want?" Derek persisted harshly, his jaw set.

Allison didn't back down, and she wondered what was going on. He wasn't like this before, all macho and sulking. He put his walls down for her.

"When we were in—" Derek cut her off, already knowing what she was going to say.

"Allison." Derek eyes her sternly. "Don't. It was a mistake. Go home."

"You know that's not true," Allison replied, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, really?" He asked sarcastically. "Was it a mistake when your aunt burned my family house down? Because I'm pretty sure she knew what she was doing. How do I know you're not just spying on us for your dad to swoop in and spray all of us with wolfsbane? Because Kate—"

"Why do you insist on bringing Kate up all the time?" Allison had finally lost her temper. "I didn't kill your family, Kate did! She broke the code and killed innocent lives for no fucking reason! I might have been part of her family, but I didn't do it!"

"Don't you understand? I'm not Kate!" She screamed. "I'm not Kate! I'm not her!"

Derek's eyes widened as she slid to the floor and tears started to flow out her eyes freely.

"I'm not her," she repeated over and over in a quieter voice.

Derek didn't know how to handle this. He hated seeing girls cry and had never seen such a strong girl like Allison break down. She was known to be kind, carefree, and a lot of the time, she was indifferent.

She broke.

This whole time, he hasn't seen her shed a single tear since Kate died. Her face was blank the entire time of her mother's funeral.

Derek crouched in front of her. "Allison, I'm sorry."

"Sorry isn't going to fix the fact that my own aunt killed your entire family," she replied in a voice that human ears would never be able to pick up. "And you felt the need to kill my mother because of it."

"I didn't kill your mother," he told her softly. "The bite is supposed to be—"

"A gift, I know, you told Scott and I after time," Allison said, cutting him off. "And she killed herself. She didn't even care if she was leaving behind a daughter or husband."

"She did. Gerard told her to kill herself," Derek told her.

"I know, it's just not fair for you to blame me over something I didn't do, so I'm just doing the same."

Derek looked at her for a good five seconds before chuckling.

Allison's eyes widened and stared at him in wonder. He was laughing at a joke she made? Since when did Derek laugh with actual humour?

Allison didn't know how long that was going to last, so she joined him and laughed, too.

"You've got jokes, Argent," Derek told her, smiling a bit.

"You're not too bad yourself, Hale," she said, pushing his shoulder.

Derek couldn't take it anymore. As soon as her cool hand brushed his shoulder, he yanked her forward to him and pressed his lips to hers.

Allison wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him closer, like she was expecting him to kiss her.

His stubble brushed against her skin, and scratched her chin in a way that made her feel like she was aflame.

Allison didn't even feel this way with Scott. There was always sparks with her and Scott, but with Derek, it was white hot fire.

Derek picked her off the floor and wrapped her legs around his waist.

His fingers dug into her hips and he pushed her roughly against the brick wall of the apartment.

Allison saw Derek's eyes flash red, and he growled out. Allison tugged at the bottom of his shirt, and he then finally got the message and threw her on his futon bed.

-

"This can't happen again," Derek muttered, grabbing his shirt off the edge of the bed.

"Yeah," Allison agreed quietly, tugging her jeans on and turning away from him.

"I'm just gonna go," she said, looking down at the ground and grabbing her sweatshirt from the chair. "Bye."

She didn't wait for his goodbye; she just rushed out the door.

Derek stared at the door for a good five minutes, until he sighed.

This girl was going to be the death of him, because he enjoyed that more than he should have.

-

"So, you guys are just suddenly getting along?" Stiles asked, glancing at Derek and Allison sceptically.

Derek nodded. "Yeah, we settled our differences, and realised how stupid we were doing."

They were sitting on the floor in the middle of the apartment, making another plan to attack the Alpha pack. They were taking a break and relaxing while eating Chinese food.

"I'm glad," Scott said, smiling at Allison. She smiled at him back, and tucked her feet under herself on the floor.

He picked up his fork and shoved food into his mouth to avoid from vomiting. Scott had it bad for this girl, yet they weren't even together anymore.

A loud rock song played from Scott's pocket and Allison pulled it out before he could get to it.

"Hello?" She answered in a playful voice.

"Yes, this is Scott's phone," she replied.

A few seconds passed and her smile faded. "What?"

"Okay, I'll notify him immediately." She hung up, a horror-stricken look on her face.

"What happened?" Scott asked with a hint of panic in his voice.

"Your mother... she's in the ER," she choked out. "She was found in the backyard of your house, barely breathing. She had claw marks in her neck."

Stiles shot up. "We need to get to her, now."

"No, we need to get to her tomorrow," Scott replied sarcastically while packing up his things into a bag.

"Tomorrow? Are you insane?" Stiles replied, his eyes wide.

Scott rolled his eyes and stood up. "Learn more about sarcasm, Stiles." He then turned to Allison. "Do you need a ride home?"

She gave him a look. "Are you insane? Go to your mom, I'll find my way home."

Scott nodded and dragged Stiles out. The door slammed shut and it echoed around the apartment.

Derek started to pick the empty food cartons off the floor to dump them in the trash.

"Here, let me help," she offered, picking up the rest of the trash off the floor.

Derek couldn't help but stare as she bent over. He knew he was slightly being a pervert, but he couldn't help it.

His eyes tried to focus on something else, but they kept drifting back to her ass.

Derek finally averted to the trash bag in front of him and he dumped the garbage down the chute.

"Excuse me," Allison said, moving past him to get to the trash chute.

He almost groaned out loud when her body brushed against his. Without her even knowing, she was turning him on.

"So, are you just going to ignore me?" Allison's soft voice floated to his ear.

He tensed, but he said nothing. He continued to pick up trash on the rest of the floor.

"If you regret what happened two days ago—" he cut her off.

"Wow, Ms. Straight A Smartass Argent finally realises what's wrong," Derek said in a snarky voice, expecting her to argue.

Allison shrunk back instead of getting a rise out of her. She shrugged and moved away from him.

"I'll just go," she said weakly, picking up her bag and putting her belongings away.

When she was almost at the door, she stopped halfway and swung around to look Derek in the eye.

"You're a pussy," she told him in a flat voice. "You're scared."

"How so, Allison?" He asked, being careful for no emotion to slip on his face.

"I know you felt something. You just don't want to admit it, because you're scared." She shook her head and laughed. "Wow, imagine that. The fearless alpha is scared of a teenage girl."

Derek's lips morphed into a scowl and his eyes flashed red. This insolent girl had no idea what she was challenging.

But she continued on. "You don't deserve an alpha title. You killed your own uncle, even though he's still alive now, but you killed. That makes you as much as a killer as K—"

Derek slammed her against the wall before she could finish her sentence.

He glared fiercely at her, his eyes flashing bright red. "Shut the fuck up. Do not ever compare me to your cruel, sick minded bitch of an aunt."

Instead of her face being a look of fear, her lips curved up into a smile.

The words she uttered will echo in his head for as long as he'll remember.

"I broke your walls down. I broke you."

Derek froze with his eyes wide.

All he could hear was his loud pants and the fast pulse of Allison's heart that most likely matched his. She was right. She broke him.

Allison grabbed him and smashed her lips to his, and he grabbed the back of her neck and pulled her closer, leaving no space between their bodies.

He lifted her up, and instead of bringing her to the bed, he swept everything off the kitchen table and slammed her there.

Even though they promised never to do this again, he still found himself having sex with Allison on the table.

-

Allison tugged her sneakers on without sparing a glance at Derek.

Then she looked up at him and asked the unspoken question: "Are we, um, do you...?" She trailed off, not knowing how to finish the question.

Derek didn't know how to answer the question. If he answered yes, he would be getting involved with an Argent, and even though she's not like her, it was still a risk seeing that she was a hunter. If he said no, then that makes him just a fucking idiot.

"Okay," she whispered, looking down at the floor while hopping off the table. "I get it. If flat rejection wasn't enough, the silent treatment is a step up."

She grabbed her bag from the ground and practically sprinted to the door.

When Allison was halfway out the door, Derek finally spoke.

"Allison."

She stopped walking but didn't turn around. She wouldn't give him that satisfaction.

"If you were asking if I want to fuck you again, then yeah. I do."

Allison couldn't contain her growing smile as she closed the door and walked out of the building.

-

"You know, I'm starting to think you only like me for the sex," Derek said to Allison teasingly a couple weeks after.

Allison rolled her eyes and pulled the sheets higher against her body.

They were lying next to each in Derek's apartment on the bed, staring up at the ceiling and just talking.

"My dad gave me a curfew to be home by ten. What time is it, it should be like nine thirty right now," she said, tying her hair up in a messy bun.

Derek looked at the clock and smirked. "It's eleven fifty seven, Allison."

Her eyes widened. "Are you serious?"

Allison grabbed his wrist to check the time, and shot up from where she was laying down before.

She cursed and looked around the room for her clothes. Where in the world was her underwear?

"Looking for these?" Derek held a pair of panties in between his fingers.

"Yeah, give it," she said, reaching for them.

Derek switched them to the other hand and smiled.

"Derek, come on. Give me my underwear!" She pleaded, groaning aloud when he didn't give them.

"Fine, I just won't wear any," she decided, looking around for her jeans.

When Derek turned his back, she jumped straight at him.

Since she caught him off guard, Derek tumbled to the ground with her.

Allison smiled and plucked the undergarments from his hand and made a move to stand up.

Derek grabbed her hips to keep her in place and smirked. "You're not going anywhere anytime soon."

-

Derek didn't think anything could go wrong with his secret relationship with Allison. It was like he got a do over to have a relationship. She wasn't Kate, but maybe that was a more positive cause.

But he wasn't careful. He carelessly left her scent all over his apartment and his all over her bed. He never thought she could be a prime target for anyone with a vendetta against him.

"Bye," Allison called from the door, slipping out of his apartment.

He gave her a slight smile as she closed the door behind her.

The next day, Derek was awakened to incessant banging on his front door. He groaned and got up, hearing the cracking in his back as he stretched. He sniffed the air and cursed when he smelled Scott.

"What?" He growled as he opened the door. "What could you possibly fucking want this early?"

"Have you seen Allison?" Scott asked, worry evident on his face.

Derek's heart rate sped up. "Why are you asking me? Isn't she home?"

Scott shook his head. "I went to her house and Chris said she didn't come home yesterday. And your apartment kind of smells likes her."

Derek swallowed hard and rubbed the back of his neck. "Did she text you?"

"Yeah, to meet her in the woods, but then I saw this note dangling from a tree instead."

Scott handed it to him, the envelope still sealed.

In neat calligraphy, the note was made out to "Your Dearest Alpha."

Derek tore open the letter and his eyes scanned it angrily.

It read:

Such a sad shame that you didn't keep a better look out on your werewolf hunter lover. Your senses were down, and you never noticed the presence we had when she was there. It's horrible that you have to watch me tear her delicate throat out and smell her sweet, metallic blood. You and your beta, Scott have twenty-four hours to meet me on the football field of his high school, or the hunter girl dies.

-Deucalion.

Derek's vision turned crimson as he crushed the paper under his claws. His breathing became shallower, and he growled out loud.

"C'mon," he growled at Scott, who was now taken aback. "Your ex-girlfriend is about to die."

"I almost thought you wouldn't make it," a member of the alpha pack teased Derek, smirking at him when him and Scott arrived from the underpass.

Derek said nothing, he just plunged his hands deep into his chest, feeling his heart pierce under his claws. He then slashed his throat, and felt his eyes flash red with his new found power of another alpha.

Scott drew in a sharp breath when he collapsed, but he continued to follow after him.

There was a circle formed around the centre of the field, and Derek pushed his way through, and he had to constrain himself not to kill Deucalion.

He was watching Derek (well, he would be watching if he wasn't blind) with a cruel smile planted on his face, while Kali had a hand wrapped around Allison's throat.

"Welcome, Derek," Deucalion said. "I was starting to think you wouldn't show up to save the Argent girl. We wouldn't want a repeat of the first time, now would we?"

Derek growled and he felt the same prickling in his skin when hair sprouted from him.

Scott growled, and Deucalion just raised his eyebrows and smiled. "My, my, Scott. Aren't you getting so worked up? Didn't Derek tell you?"

Scott's demeanour shrunk a bit, and he glanced from Derek to Deucalion. "Tell me what?"

"That for these past weeks, him and Allison have been having sex?" He replied, feigning shock. "I thought he tells you everything!"

Derek winced slightly. He didn't want Scott to find out this way. In fact, he rather Scott not find out at all.

"Just let her go," Derek said, his voice pleading.

"You have to choose which person you much rather kill; Allison Argent, or certain sister in your family."

His eyes widened, and he growled, knowing he was speaking about Cora. "Where is she?!"

"Aiden, be a gentleman and bring out Derek's sister," Deucalion yelled out, scanning the field.

The other twin alpha stood up from the bleachers, and pulled a girl –Cora, he now found out– up with him. "You mean this one? She's kinda hot, why would you kill her?"

Kali laughed, and Derek had to restrict himself from pouncing on her to tear away her throat until there was nothing left connecting her head to her body.

He wanted Cora to fight back, but he knew she couldn't. Deucalion had kept her from shifting for three full moons, and she was still recovering from that experience, making her weak.

There was no way in heaven or hell he could win. If he killed Allison, Scott wouldn't hesitant to rip his heart out and slice him into unrecognisable pieces, if her dad didn't release a round of wolfsbane bullets into his chest.

But if he killed Cora, he was losing his only family he had left, and he would rather take his own life than kill his own sister.

He couldn't win, and by the look on Deucalion's and the other surrounding alpha's faces, they knew it, too.

"Or, you could let them both go, and you could live." A new voice joined them on the field, and everyone's head swivelled towards it.

It was Chris Argent.

"And why shouldn't I tear your daughter's throat out?" Kali asked, an eyebrow raised.

"Because of this." About twenty hunters flocked from behind him, and surrounded the circle.

One alpha jumped at Chris, and he didn't hesitate before shooting a bullet in between his eyes.

The alpha was dead before he even fell to the ground.

"Take your pick, Deucalion," Chris said, with an eyebrow raised. "Your life is in your own hands."

He hesitated for a second before gesturing to Aiden to let Cora go, and for Kali to do the same with Allison.

Deucalion has started to walk off the field with his pack, when Chris handed Allison a bow and arrow.

"Screw the code for now," he whispered to her. Then he glanced at Derek when he said, "kill him."

Allison nodded in understanding, and stood up shakily. She aimed the bow with precision and shot it. The bow whizzed across the field until it hit Deucalion in the middle of his back.

"Why you little bitch," Deucalion yelled from across and used his werewolf speed to spin around and sprint to Allison.

But before he could get there, Derek flashed in front of him and shoved his claws deep into his chest.

Deucalion gasped and looked up into his face with shock.

"See you in hell," Derek murmured before throwing his body to the side. "Warm up my side of the bed for me. You don't deserve to live anymore."

A rush of immense power flowed through him, and that's when he knew Deucalion was no longer alive.

Arrows and gunshots were heard in the background, but all he could concentrate was on Allison's body lying on the floor limply while the hunters and alphas fought.

Derek bolted over to her and knelt by her side.

It didn't matter that there was a battle going on around them, it didn't matter that Scott could be watching and would rip his throat out with his teeth, or that Chris Argent could have an arrow passing right through his body in an instant.

He held out his arms and she immediately wrapped her arms around his back and hugged him tightly, digging her fingernails into his back.

He returned the hug and buried her head into neck, and inhaling her flowery scent.

All that mattered was that they both were alive.

-

"I can't do this anymore, Allison," Derek said to her, two weeks later.

Derek texted her to meet him at his apartment; but not for another round of their "old habits." They sat on the floor, a good distance away from each other.

"I had a feeling you were going to say that," she replied knowingly. "Why? Scott approved."

Allison spoke to Scott the day after the fight and they discussed her relations with him. At first he was angered by the news, but then he congratulated them and realised he had to move on.

"I just can't get you in that kind of trouble with my kind. It's too risky," he explained, hoping she would listen. But as usual, she didn't comply.

Then again, this was the girl who pressed on and on, even when he persisted for her to stop, just to get a rise or reaction out of him.

"I know you don't want to end this," she said, a slow smirk spreading across her face. "I'm always gonna be involved in your life, either way. So just shut up and accept it."

Derek opened his mouth to protest, but Allison cut him off by pressing her lips against his.

He moaned and wrapped his arms tightly around her body.

She broke the kiss and smiled. "Now is that the act of a man who wants to quit?"

He rolled his eyes, but picked her off the floor, and over to his bed.

"No, this is." Then, he ripped her shirt off.

-

"You know, I did what you asked," Allison said, with her head against Derek's bare chest.

"What?" He asked, clearly confused, with an arm around her shoulder.

"I made you feel." The words were no shocker to him, he knew that ever since the day Deucalion held Allison.

"How so?" He asked, feeling the need to patronise her.

"I make you feel anger, hopefulness, nervousness, sadness, the list goes on," she responded, with a smile.

"You forgot one major feeling," he told her.

"What?"

"You make me feel intense passion."

She rolled her eyes, but he could feel the warmth of her blush against his skin. "Shut up."

This was the closest they could get to a new beginning. This was the closest to a happy ending.

End