Memory Remnants Epilogue

Hannah wasn't dead when the ambulance came. She was close, though. She was rushed to the hospital for emergency surgery. There wasn't enough room for them all in the ambulance, so Madeline drove to it herself with the children, but this time putting the children in correct sitting positions and buckled them up. As she drove, she questioned them about their lives.

Hannah kept them as safe and full as she could. She taught them all she knew and tried to keep them innocent as possible despite them growing up in captivity. Wyatt only bothered them on the weekends and during school breaks. Summer vacation was the worst time of the year because that's when he stayed down there with them most of the time without needing to leave. They didn't like him and usually referred to him as "monster". To keep the children sweet, Hannah told them of the real world and of angels.

After Madeline got to the hospital, she brought them all to the waiting room and held Lily. She seemed to not even be one yet. She got the boys all something to eat and drink and watched their faces as they tasted junk food and soda for the first time in their lives. After about an hour, her cell rang.

"Madeline! Where the hell are you?" shrieked Alex on the other line.

"I found her," she whispered after a few seconds.

"What?"

"I found her. I found her. Alex. I found her," she began to mutter.

All she could hear was silence before Alex asked the all important question, "Is she alive?"

"Yes."

She could hear the sound of Alex sitting down heavily and him gasping. "How?"

"She was in captivity. I found her. But I don't know if she'll be alive for much longer. He shot her. She has children Alex. Three sons and a daughter. She had another daughter, but he killed her, too."

Tears were coming down Madeline's cheeks now.

"Which hospital are you at? I'll be there right now."

"Saint Marie's. Bring Lizzy. I want her to meet these children. Also, do you have Natalie's number? I want to tell her that I found Hannah."

"Yes. Yes I do. Let me just grab my address book."

Two minutes later, Madeline was staring at her right hand. She had scribbled Natalie's number on it with the secretary's pen. She took a deep breath before dialing it.

"Hello?" answered Natalie.

"Hello, Natalie. This is Madeline Kovacs."

"Hey. Any memories coming back?"

"They're all back."

She could hear Natalie jolting upright.

"What do you remember?"

"Surprisingly, that isn't the biggest news I have. I found Hannah and she's alive."

Madeline heard the phone slip from between Natalie fingers and hit the ground. It wasn't for another minute or two that she heard her voice again. She was crying.

"My baby sister is alive? Please. Where is she? Can you put her on?"

"I can't. She was shot. She's in surgery right now. Come to Saint Marie's. I'll be waiting there. I'm sorry I couldn't stop it."

"No. My baby sister is alive. That is amazing. Purely amazing."

Natalie must have sped to the hospital since she was there in a matter of a half hour with Austin, Lauren, Coop, and Chase. When she spot Madeline and Alex, she ran over to them. The entire Reyes family were looking much more alive. Especially Coop. The hopelessness was erased from expression.

"Is Hannah out of surgery yet?" she asked quickly.

"Not yet," Madeline replied.

Natalie frowned as she bounced on the balls of her feet in excitement. That's when she took notice to all the children.

"Who are all these kids?" she inquired.

"This is your niece, Lily, and these are your nephews, Owen, Kyle, and Charlie. They are Hannah's children. The blond girl is mine, Lizzy," Madeline responded as she gestured to them.

She was still holding Lily. Charlie and Kyle were clinging to her legs. Owen was playing with Lizzy. Alex kept trying to talk to them, but all his piercings scared them. Natalie's jaw dropped as did the rest of the family's. Just then the doctor walked out.

"Hannah Reyes is out of surgery. The surgery went well and she is awake. She will be able to leave in three days," he stated before gesturing for them to follow him.

Hannah was sitting up in her bed and staring at the wall when they began to enter. She smiled at them and her children ran to her. She outstretched her arms for them and they easily snuggled into her chest. She winced as they touched her wound, but she ignored it. Lily wiggled in Madeline's embrace. Madeline walked slowly up to Hannah and handed her the baby.

"I'm sorry," Madeline whispered.

"But you're here now. I'm okay," she replied.

Natalie crept into the room and looked down at her sister. She slowly leaned down and ran her hands through her hair that was in random lengths all over her head as if cut with a knife without a mirror. She knelt down and kissed her forehead as she cried.

"All these years, I thought you were dead, Hannah. If I had known, I wouldn't have given up looking for you," Natalie murmured.

Next one to come in was Coop. He had a cane that he hobbled on. When he made his way over to Hannah, he ran his wrinkled hands on her cheeks.

"I had given up hope. I wish I had known. I was just waiting for death to claim me so I could see you again. That's what your mother did. I'm sorry, my baby girl. Your mother is gone," he rasped.

When Austin came in, he didn't say a word. He just pulled his youngest sister into a tight embrace and the large, buff man began to weep and tremble. It was as if his sister had came back from the dead. After she had went missing, the only way to get his mind off of her was by working out and worked out until all he was was all muscles and angst.

Lauren walked slowly up to Hannah while holding Chase in her arms. He was glancing around the room. Madeline wasn't sure he understood what was happening or not. She doubted it, but he probably had seen pictures of a younger version of Hannah.

"Hannah. It's me, Lauren. I just wanted you to meet Chase. Chase is my son with Austin. Chase, this is your Aunt Hannah," she introduced.

Chase waved at her with a goofy smile. After the introduction, Alex walked up to her and smiled. Hannah gave him an odd look.

"Alex, you look like a chia pet," she giggled.

He stuck his tongue out at her, revealing his tongue piercing.

"Dear Lord, you're covered in those."

"Then you don't want to see what's on my butt."

"Let me guess. You got an ex-girlfriend's name's there."

"You're good."

Just then Jonah stormed into the room and glared at Madeline. He grabbed her wrist and yanked.

"You left during the night! And now you take Lizzy? Are you insane, woman?" he screamed.

He started to drag her away and she tried to stop him, twisting her wrist. She gave a quick shriek of pain.

"Oh come on! That didn't hurt!" he complained.

That got the attention of Austin. Austin's tall, muscular figure began loom over them.

"She doesn't want to go, so let her go," he stated before he yanked them apart himself.

Madeline took a deep breath. She had put an end to this.

"Jonah, we are getting a divorce. You abuse me and I'm a lesbian," she asserted.

Jonah scoffed.

"I knew this was coming sooner or later. Keep the kids. They're contaminated by your homosexuality. Oh and your brother is bi."

With that, he left.

Alex whistled. "Guess he found my magazines."

Madeline stared at him, baffled.

"Underwear models are hot," he stated as he shrugged.

"Madeline, we have a lot of catching up to do," announced Hannah.

Madeline smiled sadly. "We do."

Four pairs of brown eyes stared up at her from their places around Hannah, their child faces full of happiness. Madeline doubted that her and Hannah were still dating, but they would get there again one day. And then they could get married just like they had fantasized when they were fifteen except this time they will have Lizzy, Owen, Kyle, Charlie, Lily, and even Gavin to join them on that special day.