Aftermath: A KOTLC Future-Fic

Chapter 2: Home

Great, we're back. Not dead. Always positive.

Enjoy the read.

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~~PREVIOUSLY~~

Sophie walked up the staircase leading to her old room, and stopped when she realized her door was open. Inside, Grady and Edaline sat at her desk, smiling at something she couldn't see in their hands. Quietly, she knocked on her door, and stepped into the room with a sad smile.

"I'm back."

~~NOW~~

Sophie barely had time to prepare before she found herself enveloped in the most mind-scrambling, soul-crushing hug she had ever experienced from her two adoptive parents. They sat like that in silence, save for the quiet sobbing, for what felt like an eternity, but at the same time not nearly long enough, because when the both of them pulled away, sniffling and laughing at the same time, Sophie realized she missed the feeling of having arms around her and feeling put together again.

Sophie smiled, for real this time, tears blurring her own vision. Edaline was the first to speak, grabbing her shoulders with both hands and holding her at arm's length. She looked Sophie up and down and laughed her watery laugh once again.

"You're so old, and grown-up now!" She exclaimed, grinning as though she had just been told that the T-Rex in their care had shrunk down to the size of a house cat. "We missed you so much, Sophie. When you left, and the council notified us that it wasn't truly them who sent you away...we...we were devastated, to say the least."

Sophie cringed. She had always known that her disappearance would be the hardest on the two people in front of her, but it was difficult to hear them admit it openly. It made the guilt come back tenfold, but Sophie stomped it down with the reminder that she had to leave, otherwise, another kind of guilt would've shattered her in days at the most.

Sophie grabbed Edaline's hands and held them in front of her. She addressed both of her parents, trying not to look too hard at Grady who was trying to hide the fact that he was crying harder than his wife was.

"I had to leave after...her death." Sophie finished finally. "I knew from the moment that it happened, if I had to come home and face the reality of what I had done, and the people impacted by it, I wouldn't have kept my sanity intact." Sophie went in for another hug.

"I'm just glad I'm home now. I'm sorry for not reaching out or telling you where I was. Neither of you deserved that."

As another round of crying, hugging, and more crying ensued, Sophie realized how true those words were. Truly she regretted not telling the two people who cared the most about her that she was fine, and just needed time to heal. Just one mistake of many, and one she wouldn't make again.

"We love you Sophie," Grady began. "but never do that again. Please." When his voice cracked with his last word, Sophie felt her heart crack a little with it. Definitely not a mistake she would make again.

---

After the reunion of the Foster-Ruewen household, there was a small celebration to commemorate her return. It was filled with stories, laughter, and some more tears as she recounted her days in her castle, alone. Edaline promised that she would make her as much Mallowmelt as she wanted, whenever she wanted.

At some point, the conversation shifted to a harder topic after Sophie asked about the lost cities and the changes that had occurred while she was away.

"They haven't been the same since the final fight," Grady admitted, sipping cooly from his mug. "The councilors have changed some things to try and help ease some of the tension caused by the Neverseen and Gisela, but nothing seems to be working."