Well...I am sad to announce that this is the LAST CHAPTER, as in this is all that there is. Back in October, when I actually finished writing this, I had a really hard time not crying (mainly cause I was sad that it was ending, but this chapter is a rather sad/moving thing, if I do say so myself). Oh, and before anyone even comments on it, the plan IS POSIBLE, so don't even say how unrealistic it is. I did my research (You'll know what I mean when ya read it...)
So, with no further adieu, let's get rolling. Here is the LAST chapter of "A Light in the Dark". I hope you enjoy it as much as I loved writing it. And since this is the last chance you have, please reveiw and tell me if you liked it, k?
Onward.

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CHAPTER 34
Every Time

One month. One full month had passed since the Earth had nearly met a very abrupt end. However, no one even knew of this. No one knew of the battle that had taken place between the angel, Lucius, and the Deslyan, Arin. The human race was incredibly oblivious, but there were two people who knew just how lucky they were to even be alive. It was all in thanks to Arin…and partially in thanks to Jessie.

School had gone on normally for her to say the least. The first few days had been nothing but extreme torture, full of her fighting off tears and telling people about what had happened to Arin. Amy and Seth had tried to cheer her up, but it just hadn't been possible. When she had relayed the real story to Mr. Owens, she had broken down in tears. No one could blame her really. She had just lost someone that she loved. It was a hard pain to cope with.

As the days had gone on, she had gotten a bit better. She would talk more, even laugh on some occasions. It was hard for her, but in the presence of people, she'd force a smile and act the way she once had. She would act the way she was supposed to, the way people knew her. It was like she had never met Arin or Lucius, but all of it, right down to the light in her eyes, was a front. At home, by herself, she'd spend time just sitting in her family's guest room. She would sit on the bed and stare out the window, at the closet, the alarm clock…everything. She'd even go through Arin's backpack, something that had never been emptied.

No matter how hard she tried to just keep alive the idea that he would come back, she couldn't prevent the impending loneliness that pulled at her. She was only seventeen, but that didn't mean she couldn't be in love. She wanted to see him more than anything. She wanted to be with Arin. She'd do anything to hold him once more.

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It was a late Tuesday night, and Jessie's mother had gotten home early. She had been doing that a lot more ever since Arin's disappearance. At first, it had simply been because of Jessie. She didn't think it was a good idea to leave her daughter home alone when she was so downhearted and depressed. Now it was simply to spend a bit more time with her, to keep her company and just to make up for all the time she hadn't been there.

"Jessie, could you help me with this?" she asked, trying to balance out quite a few pots and pans full of food for dinner.

"Sure," Jessie responded with a smile, one that everyone knew was fake. She took two of the pots and set them on the table. They were having a big dinner tonight, full of different kinds of food. Her mother had really been pushing her to eat more since she rarely had an appetite nowadays. She could remember back when Arin had first come to live with them. He hadn't eaten much, and her mother had assumed he was sick. He was a bit on the skinny side, but that was okay for him. After all, he wasn't human.

All through the meal, they spoke of what had happened during Jessie's day at school and Ms. Carlson's day at work. They exchanged stories, smiles, laughs. They kept the conversation as far away from Arin as they could, but sometimes it was hard. Both of them missed the boy. He had been good company. Both hoped that he'd keep his promise and come back someday. Their home would always be open to him. He could come back whenever he pleased and stay as long as he wanted.

After dinner, Ms. Carlson sent Jessie away to do her homework while she took care of the dishes. As of late, Jessie had to spend more time on her work to get it done. She found herself lost in thought occasionally. She would zone out more and more often, even during school itself. There were times where she'd just stare out the window or at Arin's empty desk next to her. Sometimes, out of the corner of her eye, she'd swear that she could see him. It was hard having to deal with this day in and day out. No matter how hard she tried to move on, to go forward with her life, she found that she couldn't forget him. He plagued her every thought and dream. His memory would always live within her. She'd wait forever if she had to, but someday, she would see him again. She had to. He promised.

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Jessie found herself standing on the roof of her school building. Above her, in the sky, was a gate. It was the gate that connected her world to Duse. A smile spread across her face as she scanned the rooftop, and there she saw him. Arin was standing there, his back turned, wings spread. He seemed to be looking for something.

"Arin!" she called, feeling an overwhelming amount of joy wash over her. She just couldn't believe her eyes. He was really there, standing just a few yards away. She wanted to run to him, to throw her arms around him and welcome him home. She wanted to hold him and never let go. She just couldn't take this anymore. She began running.

Arin slowly turned around, a smile forming on his face. He held out his arms, waiting for her to run into them. Jessie couldn't wait to hold him again, to feel his arms around her. She wanted to tell him about everything that had happened, about how she had never given up on him. She wanted to embrace everything about him. When she finally reached him, when she was no more than a foot away, she reached out, leaned forward, closed her eyes, and…

She fell. She hit the cement hard, landing with a dull thud. She had gone right through him, as if he had been nothing more than a hologram. She hadn't been able to touch him at all. At the last second, he had become transparent.

"Arin?" she questioned as she got on her hands and knees, glancing back at him. He just stood there for a moment before turning to her. There was such a sad look on his face as his body began fading. He whispered something, but she couldn't hear. Before she could ask what he had said, he disappeared, and the gate in the sky faded from view.

Just like that, everything was gone, and Jessie found herself falling. There was nothing anymore. There were no people, no buildings, no sights or sounds…there were just words, just five of them. They were five words that just kept echoing in the vast emptiness of her dreamscape. I'll come back…I promise.

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It was another Wednesday, another day just like every other day. Jessie was finding it a lot harder to concentrate in her classes, and if she didn't do something soon, her grades would start slipping. She knew her mother couldn't afford for them to fall too far. She would have to work harder at her job, and then Jessie wouldn't get to see her as much. Now that it was just the two of them again, she enjoyed having her mother home more. It made for good company and conversation.

As he went around the room and passed out papers, Mr. Owens couldn't help but spare Jessie a sad glance. She was once again staring out the window, watching the sky. She was always so zoned out by the time she got to his class, so he did his best not to draw attention to her. However, it was hard. He was worried about her to some extent. After all, she rarely spoke up in class, and she no longer stayed after to work on her homework. He wasn't sure if she did it at home or even at all, but he wouldn't preach about it to her. After a whole month of being away from Arin, she still wasn't much better. Whatever he had to say wouldn't fix anything.

When the bell finally rang, every student packed their things and rushed out the door. Every student, that is, except for Jessie. She left her bag at her desk and approached Mr. Owens. He gave her a rather confused look. She rarely came and spoke to him after class anymore, so this was indeed a surprise.

"Yes?" he asked her with a smile. Jessie just lowered her head a bit, as if what she wanted to say wouldn't quite come out.

"I…I wanted to talk to you about something," she began. "If…if Arin comes back…"

"When," he corrected her, earning him a confused look from his student. He just smiled a bit more. "It's when he comes back, not if. You need to phrase it right." Jessie couldn't help but smile at that. Out of everyone she knew, Mr. Owens was the only one who was trying to keep her faith in Arin alive. He had made a promise, and she had to believe that he was going to keep it. Mr. Owens seemed to think he would, so she had to. She had to keep her hope alive.

"Okay then, when he comes back," she corrected. "I was wondering…how he'd be able to stay here."

"What do you mean exactly?" he asked, leaning forward a bit.

"Well…he doesn't technically exist here. He has no past records, no parents, no birthplace or date for that matter. So I wanna know if there's a way for him to live here without anybody being suspicious." This was indeed a hard question, and she knew that. After all, Mr. Owens really seemed to be thinking about it. There had to be a way. How could someone suddenly have a life on Earth? True, people could change their identities, but everything from their past was kept in a record. Somehow there had to be a way to sidestep all of that. If anyone would know, it would be Mr. Owens.

"Well," he began, finally having some sort of idea. "I guess the first thing would be to get him a social security number. That shouldn't be too hard. This is the only country that has them. If we were to come up with some kind of story, something along the lines of him being born in another country, then it shouldn't be too hard."

"But don't people have to take some kind of entrance test if they wanna come here?" she asked, shooting down a part of his plan. They had to make this as logical as they could. After all, if Arin wanted to come back and live a normal life on Earth, he'd have to make it look like he had been there all along.

"Well…there may be a way around that as well," he began, seeming to really be thinking this over.

"And what about his past records?"

"One question at a time please," he told her with a playful smile. "I can only handle so much. This is a complicated question." He took in a deep breath, deciding to figure out her most current question. "His past records…well, all we'd have to do it pick a country that's currently in a war of sorts. That way, there would be too much commotion to bother with transferring them. This country may be picky, but it's not that hard to get in. There's illegal immigrants everywhere."

"One more thing though," she began. "The test…the immigration thing itself…how do we get around that?" This was the question he would have rather not been asked. It was a confusing matter. There had to be a way around it. Every rule had a loop hole of some sort. Somehow this had to work.

"I guess…" he began, having a somewhat reasonable idea, "if someone were to adopt him, then he wouldn't have to bother with that stuff, and don't ask me anything about the fact that he speaks English or looks more like the people in this country than anywhere else, because we could always say that his grandparents were originally from here, or something like that. It could very well make things easier for us if we did."

"But who'd adopt him?" Jessie asked. They both thought it over for a minute, and surprisingly, Jessie was the first one to come up with something. She just fixed Mr. Owens with a sly looking smile, one that made him just a bit nervous. He already knew what she was going to suggest before she even opened her mouth.

"You," she told him. "You can adopt him." Before he could agree or protest, she placed her hands together and put on her best puppy dog face. "Please? You have to. You're the only other person who knows about him. Please, please?"

Mr. Owens just sighed, adjusting his glasses a bit. This wasn't something he could just agree to. Sure, it's not like Arin required a lot of taking care of or anything, but this would definitely make his life a bit more difficult. He wasn't used to living with someone. He probably wouldn't see much of Arin anyway. The Deslyan would probably insist on living with Jessie again.

They just stood there in silence as Mr. Owens continued to ponder over the suggestion. Perhaps this could work out. He didn't mind Arin at all, so at least the boy wouldn't get on his nerves. Plus, this meant that in the possible future, he would one day be a part of Jessie's family. That wouldn't be that bad either. He wouldn't be lonely anymore, that was for sure, and he had to admit that he sometimes didn't like living alone. If he agreed, it would make Jessie happy, so it was hard not to say he would. He hadn't been able to do much for either of them during the struggles with Lucius, so now he would finally be able to take part in their lives. He could help them stay together.

"Fine," he eventually said. "I'll do it." He couldn't fight the smile that spread across his lips when he saw Jessie's face light up.

"Thank you!" she shouted enthusiastically. She ran and grabbed her book bag, shoving everything in quickly. She ran back and stopped before leaving his classroom. "I can't wait to tell Arin when he comes back." And with that said, she ran from his room. He just couldn't repress the smile on his face. For the first time in the past month, she had looked truly happy. She hadn't been forging the light in her eyes or the smile on her lips. She had finally meant it. Plus, in reference to Arin, she had used the proper word. She had said "when."

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Never. Never in all its infinite years had the universe every witnessed such a battle. The struggle had gone on for what felt like ages, each day passing as if it had been a year, full of loss and casualty. At some points it had been hard to see an end. Many had thought it wouldn't end. They had believed that they would be locked in combat for all eternity, fighting a war that was never going to go anywhere. However, all of them had failed to notice the shifting in powers. After a while, more and more of their enemies had fallen, and after a while, victory had been in the clear. After long days, sleepless nights, and loss after loss, they finally had reached an ending. They could finally feel relief and once again take pleasure in the fact that they were alive. Never would anything feel this good.

War was in no way a pretty thing. This was easily understandable just by looking around. Everywhere you looked, there were buildings on fire, rubble and cracked cement all over the streets, and bodies lying everywhere. Some were angels, their white wings being their identities. There were very few that were Deslyan. It was needless to say who had won this long awaited battle. The sky was littered with figures, all celebrating and cheering in victory. Some were more joyous than others, shouting things like "freedom" and "liberation." Others were celebrating silently, looking around at the place that had been the final battlefield. Amongst the celebrators were two very quiet Deslyans. Neither one said a word to the other for quite a while. One, however, looked a lot happier.

"That was some battle," he finally said with a rather bright smile. "You fought well, just like always, and the end came about much faster than I thought it would." He received no response from his companion. "Arin, are you even listening?"

"Yeah," he responded with a sigh, as if he'd rather be anywhere but here. "Hey Jaron? What now?"

"What do you mean?" his council leader asked him, that smile still on his face.

"There's nothing left for me to do. The angels are gone."

"Aren't you going back?" Jaron's voice had suddenly gotten a lot softer, as if he didn't want the surrounding Deslyans to hear their conversation.

"I don't know," he responded, refusing to look at his council leader as he spoke. "That was the plan, but…I don't really belong there."

"You don't belong on Duse either," Jaron stated, and that comment instantly drew a reaction from the younger Deslyan. Arin looked hurt, as if someone had just shot him, as if he had just lost the war. "Let's face it. Your home was destroyed, and you no longer have a real family. Nothing can take their place, but she comes pretty close, am I right?" He received no answer. "You can make a new life for yourself with a new family. You may not've been born there, but it's where you belong. Besides, now that you know how to open the gate, you can always come back if things don't work out."

"I guess…" he sighed, still not feeling sure about this. In reality, he wanted to jump right through a gate and head to Earth. He wanted to find Jessie, to tell her how sorry he was for making her wait like this. He wanted to hold her, to see her smile. He just wanted to see her again. It had been too long.

"Arin," Jaron began, returning him to reality. "The war is finally over." He put a large smile on his face, hoping that Arin would do the same. "You helped to bring about the end of it. In the course of your life, you've saved hundreds of planets, billions of lives, you killed Lucius, and you ended a war that's been going on for ages. You've performed a great service to our universe, and you deserve a break. Therefore, I'm granting you a permanent vacation." Arin just couldn't help it this time. He broke out into a smile, one of both great relief and excitement.

"Jaron, are you serious?" he asked, already knowing that his leader was.

"Completely," was his only answer.

"Any suggestions?" Jaron only broke into a wider smile, folding his hands behind his back.

"I hear the Earth is rather pleasant this time of year. In fact, it's almost always pleasant. Besides, I'm sure there are a few people there who're dying to see you." Arin almost wanted to laugh at how laid back and casual this conversation was. It was in a way like a game to them. Jaron knew for a fact that if he sent Arin away, he'd never see the Deslyan again. No one would…unless they wanted to take a trip to the Earth themselves.

"Thanks, Jaron," he said softly, his crimson eyes glowing softly. He couldn't wait to get back. He couldn't wait to see Jessie again.

"So then you're leaving?" asked a new voice, one coming from behind Arin. He spun around in midair, his eyes landing on Nero. The other Deslyan had a huge smirk on his face. "You couldn't stand being away from your girl, huh?" Usually in this case, Arin would threaten his so called friend, but he was in too good a mood. He would tolerate Nero's sarcasm for now. "Shall I do the honors?"

"Fine by me," Arin stated, watching as Nero prepared to open the gate.

"Give Jess a kiss for me, will ya?" he asked, this time earning him a small glare from his fellow Deslyan. He just smirked and began focusing his magic. His body started glowing a soft red, and above them the sky began changing. The clouds started swirling together, forming a barrier around the hole that was opening. On the other side was a clear blue sky, one that Arin had been longing to see for far too long.

"Goodbye, Arin," said Jaron, his signature smile plastered on his wise face. "Until we meet again."

"Yeah," the younger Deslyan agreed softly, his eyes full of a deep yearning. "Thanks again."

"Take care," he called out as Arin began ascending towards the gate. Nero didn't bother saying anything. He just watched as Arin disappeared into the blue sky, possibly leaving forever. Once he started a life there, he probably wouldn't come back.

"Why didn't you say anything?" his father asked him, curious as to why Nero hadn't offered even a farewell.

"There's no need," he stated casually, a smirk playing across his lips. "I'll just check up on him in a few weeks or so. He'll be so happy to see me." Jaron just laughed a bit at his son. There would be a lot more laughter heard now amongst their people. After years of living in fear and strife, they could finally go about their lives peacefully. There was no longer a need to worry, to fear, to practice the art of battle. They could live normally once again. For the first time in ages, they could live unburdened, and strangely enough, it was all in thanks to one Deslyan…and one very special human.

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Jessie sighed for what felt like the one hundredth time that day. Each day that passed was getting harder and harder for her. She found herself exhausted most of the time. Other times she was just bored and unable to concentrate. She knew she was staring out the window, oblivious to the topic her teacher was preaching. Usually she tried to stay focused in Mr. Owens's class simply because she owed it to him. However, on a Friday such as today, concentrating always seemed harder. She just wanted the weekend to come so that she could spend some time out walking. Even if she was alone, she wanted to just be out and away from her house. There were too many things there that reminded her of how much she missed Arin. She needed to try and focus less on how sad his departure was and more on how happy she'd be to finally see him again.

However, she had to admit that the thought of him being alive, the thought of him coming back was slowly slipping from her mind. It had been so long, and she hadn't seen hide or hair of him. She wasn't even sure where he was or if he was even alive. What if he had never planned on returning in the first place? What if he had just been lying? It was too hard to bear. She didn't want to think about that. However, it was hard not to. She felt so alone without him there. She had always been told that loving someone was the most wonderful feeling in the world, but they had never mentioned how much pain it would cause when that person was lost. It was almost too much to bear, and the thought of never seeing him again just made it so much worse.

Jessie stole a glance at the clock, realizing that she only had to suffer for about ten more minutes. Class would be over soon, and then she could go home. She could wait patiently for her mother to come back and then demand that they do something together. Her mother was starting to take the weekends off, wanting to spend even more time with Jessie. She had already promised her that for Christmas they'd go visit her father and spend it as a family. They were perhaps a broken one, but it would be nice having everyone together again. Even though her parents weren't married, they still managed to get along, almost like old friends. The only thing that would make it more perfect would be if Arin came with. And just like that, her mindset returned to the Deslyan.

Jessie sighed deeply, her eyes starting to close a bit. In her slightly drowsy state, she could almost see him. She often swore that she could see him right outside the window, floating just a few feet away. His image never turned to face her, never greeted her, and when she'd blink, he would disappear. It was painful having to see that over and over again. However, this time, it wasn't a blink that removed his image. It was a flash of light from outside. In the sky, she swore she had just seen a flash of red light. When she looked up a little farther, she could see clouds swirling a bit, but they quickly went back to floating aimlessly in the vast ocean of blue. Was that…a gate?

Jessie shook the idea from her mind. She didn't need to get her hopes up. She was sure that she was just seeing things. Perhaps all of this thinking and focusing on Arin was slowly driving her insane. That was possible, after all. She was known to see things now and then. She sometimes swore that she could hear him at night. She really missed the few times that he would come in and check on her. He had never once known that she had been awake during his checkups, but she had seen every single one. He had always seemed so worried, as if she wouldn't be there when he opened the door. She'd always be there. She'd always be waiting for him…if he wanted to see her.

The bell would ring any minute now, releasing her from this mental mind game. However, something else snapped her mind away from its rather forlorn train of thought. She could see something falling past the window. She was tempted to lean over and get a better look, but it soon came into view. What she saw made her heart stop. Floating just outside, wafting in the breeze, was a single black feather. Most would think it was just from some bird flying by, but Jessie wasn't that stupid. Only one race had that kind of feathers. It had come from a Deslyan.

Jessie snapped her attention to the front of the room, her eyes meeting Mr. Owens's. Apparently he had been watching her, and he looked just a little startled to see a smile on her face. Neither one said anything, but by the light in Jessie's eyes, Mr. Owens knew that this was something big. She looked anxious, as if waiting for the bell to toll so that she could bolt from the classroom. That's exactly what happened.

The ending bell chimed loudly through the entire school, and Jessie quickly got up, her book bag and books forgotten in her haste. She ran right past everyone, past Mr. Owens, and out the door. She hadn't even offered him a word of explanation. She didn't have time. She was in a hurry, after all.

Jessie turned down the hallway and ran towards the stairs. She was heading for the last staircase in the entire school, the one that would lead her to the roof. Her heart was racing, and her mind was overflowing with thoughts. She felt anxious, excited, nervous, and a little afraid. After all, what if she had only been imagining it? What if he wasn't really there? What if it was a messenger coming to tell her that Arin had been killed? She wasn't sure if her already damaged heart could take anymore disappointment. He had to be there. Her very sanity depended on it. She needed to see him again. She wanted him to be there.

When she reached the door to the roof, her heart was beating so forcefully that she was sure it would burst from her chest. She just couldn't take the suspense. No matter how hard it was, she had to open that door, and so with all the willpower she had, she turned the knob and shoved it open.

The door slowly revealed the roof to her, and she watched with anxious eyes. As it swung open, she could see the clear blue sky, hear the sounds of cars below and planes above, feel the soft wind against her skin. However, none of that mattered. Every sensation went away the second she saw him. Tears began streaming down her face, and she was praying that this wasn't another illusion. Standing on the very edge of the building, his back turned, was Arin.

Jessie tired to call out to him, to make some kind of motion that could draw his attention, but she didn't do anything. She couldn't. Her body was frozen in place, the shock and joy of seeing him there being far too overwhelming. She had been preparing for this day for so long. She had planned out exactly what to say and how to say it, exactly what to do and how to greet him, but now all of that was forgotten. All that was left was the extreme joy and relief she felt from just seeing him. She wanted to run to him, to embrace him. She had to find the strength to do so, and that strength came from the remembrance of how good it felt to be in his arms. That alone was enough to break her from her shock.

"Arin!" she shouted, watching as he straightened a bit. As he began turning slowly towards her, she began running, sprinting as fast as she could towards him. She couldn't wait to hold him, to feel his arms around her. She wanted to hear his voice again, to hear him say how much he loved her. When she finally reached him, when she was no more than a foot away, she reached out, leaned forward, closed her eyes, and…knocked him right off his feet, both of them going over the edge of the building.

The first thing she felt was his arms encircling her, holding her tightly so that she wouldn't fall. The two of them were just floating in midair, and he was the only thing keeping her from falling to the Earth below. Neither one said anything at first. Jessie was crying, her arms around his waist, placed tightly and firmly against his back. She had her face buried in his chest, her small body shaking with each joy filled sob.

Arin could do nothing but smile and hold her closer. A strange kind of emotion began stirring in his stomach, something he had never felt before. For the first time in his life, he felt honest and pure relief. He felt happy, content, amazing, at ease; words couldn't describe how good this felt. He had missed her dearly, missed her as if she were a part of him. In a way she was. He had felt so empty without her presence.

"Jessie," he whispered affectionately, surprised at how breathless his voice sounded. He placed his head atop hers, taking in the pleasure of having her there, of the warmth that her body was giving off. He loved this feeling more than anything. He loved her more than anything.

"…I never gave up," she whispered, pulling her face away from his chest. "I knew you'd come back."

"Of course. I promised," he told her gently, running a hand through her soft hair. Oh how he had missed that feeling. He let himself sink further into the embrace, wanting to take in everything about her. "I swear I'll never leave again." He knew she was smiling, feeling the way she held him a bit tighter, a soft sigh escaping her lips.

"That's good to hear," she whispered. They just stayed there, just like that, for a moment longer. Eventually, Arin flew back towards the school and landed softly. His wings began disappearing, and soon it was impossible to tell that they had ever been there. He slowly began releasing her, and she reluctantly did the same. However, when she was finally out of his arms, she raised her tear stained face and offered him a bright smile. If there had been one thing in the world he had truly missed, one thing about her, it had been that. He loved the light in her eyes, the soft curve of her lips. It was even better since she was directing it at him.

"Come on," she told him, taking his hand in hers, giving it a small squeeze. "We've gotta go see Mr. Owens. He's been waiting for you to get back."

"He has?" Arin questioned curiously, not entirely following her on this. She just gave him another smile and began gently guiding him towards the door.

"How do you feel about having a father?" she asked as they reached the door, pausing at the stairs.

"That'd be nice, I guess," he answered, still sounding confused. "Why?"

"Then it's settled!" She seemed so happy about something, and it was killing Arin not to know. He had no idea what this had to do with him. Just what was she talking about? Before he could ask her, she spoke up. "Let's go meet your new father then, Mr. Arin Owens."

"What?" he began to ask, but before he could fully finish, she began pulling him down the stairs, her fingers still tightly intertwined with his. He didn't bother asking again and instead decided to walk with her, keeping her pace. Despite how confusing this was, he didn't really care. He wasn't able to fight off the smile spreading across his face. All he could see right now, all he was focusing on, was Jessie. He loved her, after all.

"Jessie?" he called when they reached the midway between the staircases. She stopped pulling his hand and instead turned to face him. Before she could react, he threw his arms around her, enveloping her in his embrace. "I missed you." She was about to respond, to say the same thing back, but she never got the chance. He had moved too quickly, bending down to reach her height. He captured her soft lips, kissing her for the first time in over a month. He was sure, both of them were, that nothing could ever feel this good.

For the first time in the past twelve years, he finally felt at peace. He felt like he belonged here, as if this world, this place, this life…that it was really his. He could live here, have a home again, one with people he loved and who loved him back. Sure, there was no doubt in his mind that he'd probably have to deal with some hard times, especially in the near future. He would have to create a past life for himself, one that would probably be different each time he told it. However, no matter what happened, even if he was one day discovered, even if he was forced to leave and go back to Duse, he didn't care. For this moment, he was going to live in the here and now, the present. The future wasn't meant to be known, after all.

Arin didn't want this moment to end, even thought he knew there would be so many more to enjoy. He never wanted to let go, because right now, he knew exactly where he was, who he was with, and what he was doing. However, every good thing in life had to end someday. This one moment would stop all too soon, but that didn't matter. For as long as he could, he would savor it. The past, the future, the very planet they were standing on…none of it mattered. Nothing and no one, not a thing was important. The feeling, the sensation, the trials and traumas they had gone through. That's what needed to be remembered. The people and places, objects and faces…all of those would disappear someday. Only their memories would continue to live on.

Arin broke the kiss at last, pulling away enough to look into her eyes. She was always so gentle and easily embarrassed. There was a blush on her cheeks. She looked amazing like that, staring at him with such a sweet, soft smile. He wanted to hold her and never let her go, embrace her again and just smother her with kisses. He was never going to leave her alone again.

"Let's go," she told him, her smile glowing along with her bright eyes. She began pulling again, and when he finally fell into her pace, she moved closer and leaned into him as they walked. When she released his hand, he put his arm around her shoulders, drawing her closer yet. She loved the feeling, the sensation of being next to him. Never would she have thought that something like this was possible. After all, he wasn't human, but he was close enough, right? Maybe he was even better. It was hard to see the difference now. Still, no one, not herself or even Arin, could have predicted a moment like this. Perhaps that's because most look at everything in terms of black and white.

Jessie moved just a bit closer, closing her eyes as he began guiding her down the familiar halls. She still just couldn't believe it. After such a long time of waiting, he was back, holding her the same way he always had. A smile tugged at her soft lips when she realized something for the first time. He's mine. Solely and completely mine. Thank God. A soft, almost silent sigh escaped her lips. I never thought I'd be standing here like this. She gave Arin a small glance, noticing the soft curve of his lips and the gentle glow in his eyes. He was so different from the Arin she had met here so long ago. He had changed…for the better. I guess when it comes down to it…things aren't always as they seem, now…are they.

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Sigh...it's really over, ne? Well, just to let you guys know, I'm gonna start another story pretty soon, okay? I'll be posting the first chapter probably tomorrow night sometime, so if you're interested, you can check it out. Sigh...this story was so fun to write, and it only took me two months! (Remember, I mentioned that I actually started this in august and ended it in october, both on the 24th! Yay me! But I sigh again, cause it's over.
Well, I really do hope you enjoyed this story. Until we meet again, I'll be seein' ya!
Adieu.