Sorry for the delay but I just couldn't find a way to fit in all of the loose ends into an interesting epilogue. But I didn't want to delay any further so here it is. A boring epilogue which I'd rather not post, but I promised :(

Epilogue

Two weeks later

"I'm not sure I like you being so powerful," Gabe said, with a scowl, when he emerged from the shower.

Laura bit her lip in laughter. "Was the water too cold?" she asked, drawing out the 'too' like a high-school girl. She even managed to blink innocently. Yeah, she could definitely make it as an actress.

He narrowed his eyes at her. "This is punishment for the Caleb thing, isn't it?"

"Well, you didn't have to scare the poor guy so badly," Laura agreed, with a grin. "He's sweet. And I don't think he'll ever talk to me again."

"Good."

Laura sputtered. "I think you need another cold-water shower."

The fact that she could manipulate so much water had been unthinkable only some days before. But now, it was easy. Natural, even. She was damn powerful. It was only much later that Laura had realized that the earlier head injury that the man had given her had totally disappeared after she'd worked her magic that day. The magic was the only explanation and the realization that she could heal (only herself? others?) made her shiver. Not necessarily in a bad way.

"I think we are getting late."

Laura looked at her watch and gasped. They were getting late. Today was the day Tabitha was finally coming home, now allowed to get off bed-rest. And today was also the first time after the whole…ordeal that Gabe had to leave for a business matter for a couple of days. His flight was at night. At first, he'd refused to go, no matter how many times she'd accused him of being overprotective. She'd even tried the 'If you go bankrupt, how will you buy me nice things?' route but he hadn't been impressed. She'd finally coaxed a promise out of him when he was occupied during…other, more pleasurable things. He hadn't spoken to her an entire day after that and they'd had the most amazing make-up sex after. She smiled thinking of it.

In the car on the way to the airport, Gabe casually remarked, "Alex is meeting us there."

"Oh?"

"I think your sister and him have been talking on the phone," he sounded vaguely surprised.

"Talking?" Laura asked wryly. "Or fighting?"

"It's like foreplay to them."

She burst into laughter and he smiled. He did that more often nowadays. Even touched her more often, using all sorts of excuses to do it. She wondered if he even realized it.

"Why are you smiling like that?" he asked suspiciously, not moving his eyes from the road.

"Just thinking."

He regarded her for one second and then let it go. "Do you want to go for a movie later before I leave? With Tabitha and Alex? To the cinema near my house?"

"Nope," said Laura. "I prefer watching one at home. I'm a cheapskate." He got claustrophobic in theatres too (which was why, she'd realized, he'd been so tense in that first-movie-date-whatever so long ago) but he didn't know she knew and she let him believe she didn't. "And I want to be alone with you. I'll miss you."

He looked at her. "You were the one who manipulated me into going. It almost felt like you couldn't wait to get rid of me," he teased.

"Yeah, well, I don't really want you to go," she explained, as if it was obvious. "When you didn't want to go, I wanted you to go."

Gabe shook his head in mock-disgust. "I will never understand women."

They reached the airport and Laura hopped out of the car, excited to see her sister after so long. Alex was already there and while he talked with Gabe, Laura discreetly observed him. He'd be good for Tabitha. She hoped they got together. And some of it was for very selfish reasons. If Tabitha got together with Alex, and it became serious, Laura could move in with Gabe without fear of leaving Tabitha alone. Right now, she hadn't done so yet even though Gabe wanted her to and she wanted to (God, did she ever). She'd asked Tabitha if she wanted to live with her in Gabe's house but Tabby had flat-out refused and she'd asked Gabe if he wanted to live in her house. He hadn't refused but he hadn't liked the idea, she could see and later, she knew it wouldn't work anyway. If they were going to use magic openly, it had to be in Merlin. So currently, that part of it hadn't worked out but if truth be told, Laura kind of liked the anticipation.

"There she is," said Alex, disgruntled. Laura looked up from her thoughts and saw Tabitha emerge from the 'Arrivals' channel, looking glamorous even after a flight and even though she was limping slightly.

Laura hugged her when she came close and Tabitha hugged her back before glaring at Gabe who glared back. Laura had figured out that this was their way of bonding. Then, Tabitha directed a slithering look at Alex and said, "Why have you brought him?"

Laura groaned. There goes any chance of them getting together, she thought.

"I insisted on coming," said Alex smoothly. "In fact, that's what we discussed on the phone last night, if I remember correctly."

And that was when Laura saw something she thought she'd never see. Tabitha went red, completely, completely red, and lowered her eyes.

"We were keeping it a secret," she hissed at Alex.

"I decided I didn't want to keep it a secret," Alex shrugged in such a supremely unconcerned way that made Laura bite her cheeks from the inside to keep from laughing. Yeah, she was right. Alex could definitely handle Tabitha. "So," Alex continued, "will you or will you not go out for dinner with me? In public?"

Tabitha narrowed her eyes at him. Then she sighed.

"Oh what the hell," she said finally. "Yes."

Fin

Aaaand it's over!

THANK YOU to everyone who read this story - glad you liked it enough to keep reading! Thank you to everyone who alerted or favourited it - know that you made my day every time I received a ping in my mailbox. And thanks the most to everyone who commented - it was you who made me keep writing!

Love you all and thanks especially to Lullay and Alaeryel for sticking with the story throughout and commenting on every chapter!

Last time reply to Lullay (I feel so sad) - LOL! What crazy ideas? I'd be interested to hear them :p I didn't even think of another torturous arc - I thought it'd get too torturous (pun intended). Je t'aime et merci beaucoup :)

And I now have just started writing another storywith (wait for it!) dragons! yeah, I think I read too much Eragon. Anyway, it's called 'The Black Dragon's Mate' and here is the blurb.

Very short blurb:

"The Global United Alliance of Nations hereby concedes that if any dragon member of The Kingdom of the Dragons is to recognize in one of the human race a kindred mate, this dragon is then entitled to full possession of the aforesaid human"….wait, what?

It will primarily be a romance, like this one, but will have more fantasy (basically, more elaborate world-building than this one had) and more humour :) Check it out if it floats your boat ;)

Love you all and thank you so much for bearing with me all this time :)

Ri x