Hello everybody! I now am proud to present the final chapter and conclusion to this tale, "Finally Returning Home". Even though it's been a week since I had started this story and indeed gotten my first fanfiction account, I feel as if it has been a long journey towards the end. I can't believe I'm done with this story and sense as if this story had a long way to go before reaching the end-in a way the ending makes me sad even though it ends well…:(

Chapter 14-Finally Returning Home

"I'm sorry about all this" said Lyra embarrassedly as they walked the streets the next morning.

"Don't be silly, dear," said her Aunt Rose looking at her surprised as she lead them westward through the narrow cities to reach the bank. "You and your…er friend saved me last night, so I am in your debt."

For the last three days, Lyra had spent those days in her aunt's house explaining everything that had happened: The day she was on the streets…how Fausto and his men had hunt her down in the forest…to how the Slenderman saved her and what she found out about his fate… all that while she was staying.

Her Aunt Rose had also offered Slenderman to come as well to stay, but he declined repeatedly. After all, he was Slenderman and would be bound to scare the majority of the people away and questions would be raised, so he ventured back home with the impression that Lyra would stay a little longer with her aunt.

Lyra and her aunt had gone to the bank to discover with such a shock that there was indeed a fortune which would have been guaranteed to sustain a person for thirty years. She signed the documents with her aunt together in the room of the bank while they sat at the table.

She didn't know why she didn't feel that remotely happy when it was found she would receive so much; perhaps it was the thought that it would mean she would have to move back into the city with her aunt that greatly depressed her. She put the pen down suddenly: She was one signature away from declaring herself the rightful owner of fifty thousand pounds. She knew she should be happy, but yet it gave her a nagging feeling that there was something vital missing from this. She had an aunt that would be there for her always just like a mother would and she would be living in a nice big house…so why wasn't she feeling happy?

"Lyra-Lyra, are you alright?" came her aunt's voice from far away.

Lyra awoke from her trance immediately. Unbeknownst to herself but her aunt, she had been found gazing forlornly out the bank window which had light shining through their faces.

"I…uh…" she began, "I'm ok…"

"Really Lyra, you have been spacing out a lot lately-what had got into you?"

Lyra didn't answer immediately as her thoughts wandered to Slenderman back at home where she knew must be thinking about her forsakenly in his chamber. She wished to see the forest, the way the sunlight brought out the color in trees' green leaves, brightening the woods…she longed to lie down in a mountain of petals in the Field of Eternal Flowers…but most of all: She missed her beloved Slenderman who had always felt for her…been there for her when nobody else had…she loved him because he loved her individual like nobody else.

Aunt Rose studied her niece's face closely for a moment before smiling and putting a comforting arm around her. "Lyra, what do you really want to do with your life?" she asked gently. Then, casting her gaze in both directions as though somebody would hear, she again asked, "Do you miss him that much?"

Lyra looked up at her, surprise showing in her green emerald eyes.

"I knew it was that from the moment you looked at each other when he saved you that you had vowed secretly to give your heart to him."

Lyra could only listen, but then she spoke after a brief period of pause, "Well you see aunt, I love him and I want to be with him but you're my aunt and I thought-" but Aunt Rose waved a hand momentarily.

"Lyra…I must say, I would like you to come live with me and my husband in our home in England, but you also have the right to chose what you want in life. If you were to go with us, you would no doubt however, begin to feel disconcerted from the feeling of being away from where he is…everyday you would begin to wonder whether you had done the right decision and will go mad with trying to figure out if it was the best."

"What are you saying?" said Lyra in a hushed voice. Her aunt merely smiled before laughing-a kind and pleasant laugh to look at her seriously.

"What I mean Lyra, is that maybe you should do the thing you want most of all-if he can make you happy, then I will be happy as well."

Lyra looked down at her lap, brushing off a piece of lint on her dress before saying in a small voice, "Aunt, your not mad that I'm in love with, him are you?"

Her Aunt looked at her momentarily puzzled at this question, but a strange smile came to her lips.

"Lyra, the fact that you found love in your life is the most precious thing you could have. There is nothing wrong with loving somebody, no matter how different he is."

Her aunt got up from the chair to return the pencil to the right place and walk to the front desk. But before doing she turned round to look at Lyra with a broad smile in her face that seemed to illuminate the whole room.

"If you have made up your mind about what you really want, I suggest you go meet him."

This left Lyra to ponder for a few seconds. Then a smile came to her face, knowing what she wanted in the whole wide world.

SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS SSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Slenderman was in his private studies staring at the broken casket that had burst. The heart was no longer there and seemed to be gone, but Slenderman knew where it had gone as he could feel finally for the first time, a correct slow beating in his chest.

He hadn't seen Lyra for three days and already he was missing her terribly. The mansion no longer seemed like a home anymore…the forests were no longer interesting to his eyes…and he could find nothing else to think about but knowing that she would be united with her aunt and want to stay with her.

She loves you said the soothing voice in his head.

She DID love you, but now she can't be with you anymore. Let's face it: She's going to want to stay with her aunt now that she had found her after 19 years.

Slenderman could feel the weight of seclusion down at the pit of his heart. He wished somehow that he had told her before to remember to visit him so that they would be able to see each other again sometime…

He sensed a sudden something in the air all of a sudden: something was in his manor. He crossed the door with graceful legs to open the door and pulled open to discover a pale, dark-haired, green-eyed someone staring up at him breathlessly with no words. Lyra Capricorne.

"Lyra?" he asked incredulous, his heart swelling with true joy. She came in with her arms around him in an embrace and holding as if she would never let go. Eventually she did and looked up at him becomingly through her eyelashes. "Yes Colin, I'm here." She said smiling.

"Have you come to say goodbye?" he asked, nervous for what choice she would make.

"Actually no, I came here to say hello."

Slenderman looked away though, and a new expression had come over his face, but not about her.

"Lyra…"he began; "the spell didn't turn me back human," he said dejectedly, "I will never be able to change my form."

If he was thinking that Lyra would be irked and say that she would not want to stay, he was greatly mistaken. She gave one tilt of her eyes up as though pretending to consider then said, "so what?"

He stared at her, unsure whether she was saying the thing he longed to hear from her…

"I don't care," she said and brought both her hands against his chest while looking up at him keenly, "Back several days, I told you my feelings and I haven't changed them since."

Slenderman could only stare in incredulity at her beautiful eyes which were interlocked in where his eyes would be. He was feeling an incredibly glorious sensation that spread like wildfire throughout his entire body…

"You-you really mean it?" he breathed.

"Of course, I want to live with you forever."

And those were the words he was looking for as his lips met hers in a passionate kiss. He raised his mouth, kissing her gently to her forehead and her eyelids as she too-returned his love…He suddenly picked her up bridal style to the brief surprise of Lyra before she wrapped her arms around his collar and beaming back at him.

He opened the door of his private bedroom with Lyra in his arms as the pair of them and closed the doors behind them for privacy.

The End.

Yay I finally finished this story! I'll be writing other stories and stuff guys, so remember to read them! I'll probably be uploading them somewhere next week. I would like to most importantly thank all of you for taking the time to read my first story I have ever written in the fanfiction site. Thank you all for commenting-it was very helpful and especially entertaining! I honestly would not have gone this far if it wasn't for your supporting words and attention to it, so thank you all! :D :D :D